'Organised begging' dims rehab homes' hope for destitute

Bengaluru: A failed marriage and her husband’s second wedding pushed a young woman from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, into destitution.A mother of three, she came to Bengaluru and sought alms for a living. A rescue operation by government agencies landed her at a rehabilitation centre run by the central relief committee (CRC), a body functioning under the social welfare department.Months later, she and her kids find themselves in a stable position and long to go home. This family of four is among the 875 inmates at Nirashritara Parihara Kendra (rehabilitation centre) on Magadi Road in Bengaluru. People who are into beggary are rescued with the help of police and are brought to these centres. Tbe CRC is currently headed by senior Congress leader Aga Sultan.From alms to earning livelihoods: Delhi govt helps over 400 beggars turn street vendorsThe CRC has 14 functional centres in state (the one in Bengaluru east is dysfunctional and its 38 inmates are currently staying at the headquarters on Magadi Road).The remaining 13 centres are in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Belagavi, Davangere, Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada, Kolar, Ballari, Dharwad and Raichur. Two more are expected to shortly come up in Chamarajanagar and Arsikere (Hassan district).As of September 30, there are 3,845 (3,151 men, 694 women) inmates across the 14 centres, with the Magadi Road branch being the largest.The committee has been constituted as per the statutory mandate of the Karnataka Prohibition of Beggary Act, 1975. The committee primarily derives its financial resources from the “beggary cess,” a 3% cess levied on tax on lands and buildings, tax on entry of goods into local area for consumption, tax on vehicles and on professions, trades, callings and employments.Additionally, the committee gets funds from subscriptions, donations, grants from the government, local bodies, fines and other receipts.These rehabilitation centres provide vocational training in fields like tailoring, garment work, production of chemicals used for domestic purposes, training in art and culture.The sprawling 308-acre property on Magadi Road, which DH visited, has residential quarters, canteen facilities, primary health centre (PHC), amphitheatre, a government lower primary school, a gym, etc.Dr Sridhar, who heads the PHC, said the centre took care of the physical health issues of inmates. “There are trained psychologists who help patients deal with mental trauma, depression and other issues. Further, we have psychiatrists who visit the campus and treat inmates,” he said.Ideally, inmates stay at the centre for a year and are closely monitored for 3 more months. However, some inmates continue to stay back for extended periods owing to unfavourable familial and socio-economic conditions.With an almost equal number of inmates leaving and joining these centres, an equilibrium is maintained. From April 1 to September 30, as many as 3,191 destitute people were rescued and brought to the centres, while 3,129 people were released during the same period.Reunited with families  Among those released, some inmates are reunited with their families through a programme titled ‘Marali Mane’ (back to home).As per CRC statistics, between April and August, 895 people were reunited with families under the programme.Sultan, who took over as CRC chairman in October 2025, has been instrumental in revitalising the CRC website.The chairman told DH that he believed in a "dignity-first" approach, adding that he stressed on welfare of inmates."Since I took over, I have emphasised on providing good quality food and living conditions. We provide both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. We supply adequate water boilers, heaters, beddings and so on. The work we do, helping people in need, is God’s work".The chairman urged the government to amend two aspects in the Prohibition of Beggary Act: replace word beggars with destitutes and arrest with rescue.However, a majority of the destitute persons in the city remain part of organised begging rackets and out of rehabilitation homes. Sultan conceded the menace of organised begging, adding that most of the people involved in such work were not from Karnataka.He said several transgender persons were into begging due to socio-economic conditions.While transgender persons are not hosted in these centres as long-term inmates, sources said the CRC was providing immediate relief facilities to transgender persons as well, and evolving a more "inclusive" approach.

Source: Deccan Herald