India's cleanest city, Indore, which now aspires to be beggar-free, has taken extreme measures to ensure its streets are free of beggars. The district administration will start registering FIRs against people who give alms to beggars in the city from January 1, 2025.
District Collector Ashish Singh stated that an awareness campaign against begging will continue until the end of December 2024. Speaking to the media, Singh urged residents to refrain from giving alms by saying, "I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people." The official also stressed that if anyone is found giving alms from January 1, a First Information Report (FIR) will be registered against him/her.
This effort aligns with the Union government’s pilot project under the SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme, which aims to make 10 cities, including Indore, free of begging.
The scheme, implemented through state governments, local authorities, and voluntary organisations, provides a range of services such as awareness generation, identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, education, skill development and sustainable settlement.
The initiative acknowledges that begging is often not a choice but a matter of survival, and its rehabilitation efforts are designed to uphold the dignity of destitute persons while empowering them to participate in decisions affecting their lives.
According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, begging is the “most extreme form of poverty” that requires long-term collective action rather than forced measures which end up being futile.
As per the 2011 Census, India’s population of beggars and vagrants are at approximately 4.13 lakh, with the majority (3.72 lakh) classified as non-workers and around 41,400 as marginal workers.
Madhya Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Narayan Singh Kushwaha said an Indore-based organisation has come forward to support the government in its efforts. "The organisation will provide shelter to them for six months and try to find work for them. We are working tirelessly to free people from begging," he said.