Indore’s Striking Plan for a Beggar-Free City: FIRs for Donors to Begin on January 1

Indore (The Uttam Hindu): In a bold move to make Indore a beggar-free city, the district administration has announced that starting January 1, 2025, FIRs will be registered against individuals who give alms to beggars. District Collector Asheesh Singh made the announcement on Monday, stating that the administration had already imposed a formal ban on begging in the city. The awareness campaign aimed at educating citizens about the negative impacts of begging will continue until the end of December, after which giving alms will lead to legal consequences.

Collector Singh emphasized that offering alms to beggars only perpetuates their dependency and encourages habitual begging. He also highlighted the disturbing findings from recent investigations, which uncovered organized gangs exploiting vulnerable people for begging. In addition to this crackdown, efforts have been made to rehabilitate many individuals caught in the cycle of begging. Singh urged residents to refrain from contributing to the issue, calling it a “sin” that sustains the problem.

Indore has been selected as one of the 10 cities for a pilot project under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to eliminate begging. As part of these efforts, the local administration has been conducting regular search and rescue operations to help those trapped in begging. In recent months, several successful rescue operations have been carried out, including the rescue of 12 beggars from Khajrana Temple Square in September, as well as 10 beggars and 4 children from the Annapurna Temple area. Additionally, 12 beggars were rescued from the Balaji Temple near the zoo. These initiatives are part of Indore's ongoing mission to create a beggar-free city.