Indore to Crack Down on Begging: FIRs for Those Giving Alms

Bhopal:Indore, India’s cleanest city, has announced a bold move to rid itself of beggars and is now aiming to become a beggar-free city. Starting January 1, the district administration will file FIRs against individuals caught giving money to beggars.

According to *NDTV*, District Collector Ashish Singh told the media that the administration has already issued an order to ban begging in Indore. He stated, “Our awareness campaign against begging will continue until the end of this month. After January 1, anyone found giving money to beggars will face legal action. I appeal to all residents of Indore not to contribute to this wrongdoing by giving alms.”

This initiative is part of a larger project under the central government to rehabilitate beggars in selected cities across India. The project includes 10 cities: Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, and Ahmedabad.

During the crackdown on professional beggars, Indore’s project officer, Dinesh Mishra, revealed startling findings: “When we compile reports, we discover that some beggars own homes, and their children work in banks. On one occasion, we found ₹29,000 with a beggar. Another beggar was lending money and charging interest. We even rescued children brought in by a gang from Rajasthan who were forced to beg.”

This move is part of a broader effort to address the issue of begging in the city and to discourage residents from contributing to the cycle of poverty and exploitation associated with it.