Separate rehab centre proposed for female beggars in Bangalore

The authorities are considering starting a rehabilitation centre exclusively for female beggars; this move comes in the wake of allegations that female inmates at rehab centres were being sexually harassed.

Chairperson of Central Beggar Relief Committee, KA Ramalingappa, announced this after inaugurating state-level workshop on census of beggars. He said a proposal had been sent to the administration core committee to start special rehabilitation centres for women in the districts.

On the beggar census, Ramalingappa said the survey was being conducted in all the 198 wards of the BBMP.

He said the enumerators were covering every street in the city.

He said they had collected information about 9,000 beggars and added that the survey would be completed in three months.

E Venkataiah, general secretary of social welfare department, said the technology-driven survey would give authentic information about beggars.

He said about 60% beggars in Bangalore are natives of North India.

He said some resort to begging even though they come from families that make both ends meet. Ramalingappa termed beggary as a social problem and said the government had started many programmes to tackle the issue.

Ramalingappa informed that 14 beggar rehabilitation centres were recently started in the state and there are plans to start 30-odd centres in villages.

Representatives from all the districts attended the workshop.