HYDERABAD: Telangana Prisons department is set to replicate its ‘make Hyderabad beggar free campaign’ to three other districts in the State. Nalgonda, Nizamabad, and Warangal will soon see the campaign initiated by the department. The motive can be considered to implement Telangana Prevention of Begging Act, 1977 across the state which prohibits beggary. “We have written to the Chief Minister seeking permission to extend the campaign in other districts and soon it will be initiated,” said VK Singh, Director General, Prisons and Correctional Services. District jails will only be used to house them through unused buildings on the prison campuses, he added.
Interestingly, the prisons department has received no funds from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to carry out the campaign for four months now despite a coalition.
“`50 - Rs 60 lakh have been spent till now for the campaign. We are using our own funds. Proposals have been sent and we will be getting the aid soon,” Singh state in a press conference that was held in Hyderabad.
9 sub-jails closed, 5 more to follow
The department has so far closed 9 sub-jails across various districts in the State and five were ordered to be closed. The campuses will be centres for the blind, mentally ill, persons with disabilities (PWDs), orphans, old & sick persons, and destitute women. Each group of persons will be centered at two sub-jails each.
The staff would be relocated to other jails campuses where there is a staff crunch.
20 persons claim bounty
20 persons from the city have claimed bounty of a total worth of Rs 16,000 for informing presence of beggars in their localities.