A rise in the number of ‘professional’ beggars arriving from outside the State has prompted the Thamarassery grama panchayat in Kozhikode district to think of a ban on begging. The plan is expected to get the support of all political parties in the panchayat.
Of late, there have been attempts by beggars from outside the State to rent houses on the outskirts of the panchayat so that they could take up begging as a ‘regular job’. This evoked the suspicion of the local residents and the panchayat authorities.
Thamarassery panchayat vice president K.C. Mamu said the plan had already been approved by the panchayat members and a final meeting to select the coordination committee for its implementation would be held on December 24. The meeting would mainly elect a coordinator and other ward-level members to track the movement of beggars in the panchayat limits and stop the practice with the support of the local police, he said.
Projecting begging as a social menace and the ways to fight it at the grass-roots level, the panchayat authorities will also prepare special leaflets and they will be circulated among all the residents.
Helpline numbers to contact in case of noticing any beggar too will be included in the leaflets.
“Till very recently, the region had only a small number of beggars who visited the houses during religious festivals and celebrations. Now, people have come up with complaints that the alms seekers consider it as an easy means of income,” said Mr. Mamu. He also pointed out that there was a huge rise in the number of such beggars in the area during the month of Ramadan.
Security concerns
The panchayat authorities pointed out that the plan to totally ban begging was taken also in view of the residents’ security.
“The incidents in which beggars act as informers to burglars and actively take part in various crimes are a big concern for us and the ban on begging is definitely a first step to address the security concerns,” they added.
Standing Committee members of the panchayat said they had already contacted the Koduvally municipal authorities to know more about the strict implementation of the project as they had the first-hand experience in dealing with the issue. “For more than a month, begging is under control in the municipality through various actions and it will be taken as a model for Thamarassery,” they said.
P.S. Mohammed Ali, Chairman of the panchayat’s Standing Committee on Welfare, said the total ban on begging would be a big relief for women who are concerned about their security. Also, it would put an end to the attempts of some of the beggars to misuse children for their business, he pointed out.
