There are 20,719 ‘Persons Engaged in the Act of Begging’ (PEAB) in the city, as per a Delhi Government survey released on Monday.
Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said that the government’s aim is to make Delhi “begging-free” by rehabilitating beggars and inaugurated two centres to give training to PEAB, so that they can find economic opportunities in mainstream society.
Of the total number of PEAB, 4,871 (24%) were children below the age of 18 years of age, as per the study. Also, around 67% of the migrant PEAB were from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
“Poverty along with many other factors result in a person resorting to beggary. People are forced into begging because of their social and economic circumstances. They are the most vulnerable section of society. Keeping this in mind, we conducted a pilot survey to identify such persons and simultaneously formulate a plan through which they can be rehabilitated,” said Mr. Gautam.
He said that men will be taught wall painting and women will be taught food processing, as part of the programme. “It will be a three-month training and during the first month ₹50 per day will be given to them during training and then ₹100 per day. We will also try to help them find jobs after the training,” the Minister said.
Survey conducted
The survey was done by the Department of Social Welfare in collaboration with the Institute for Human Development (IHD) and on-ground surveys were conducted in February to identify PEAB. The highest number of PEAB was in east Delhi (2,797) and the lowest was in north Delhi (627), as per the survey.
But the study warns that the actual number could be higher.
“Necessary steps were undertaken in the survey to include all the people engaged in begging in the city. However, the study still has some limitations which may have resulted in some underestimation of the number of people engaged in begging across the districts of the city,” it said.
The report also suggested that a comprehensive approach as per the needs assessment of people engaged in begging is indispensable to address the problem of beggary. “The approach should be a culmination of three components: rehabilitation approach, sensitisation approach and preventive approach,” it said.
