HYDERABAD: With US president Donald Trump’s daughter and White House advisor Ivanka Trump having left for her country, after successful participation at Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation appears to have lost the excitement it carried in the beautification of the city before her arrival. ‘Beggar Free Hyderabad’ drive — one of the key initiatives taken up by Telangana Prisons department, city police, and an NGO in association with the civic body — looks like in the path of being shelved. The initiative, which drew severe criticism from all corners, was stalled for 15 days, till completion of GES. The same was restarted from December 1.
However, at the moment, it is being conducted by Telangana Prisons department, an NGO and Traffic Police in the city without any participation of the city civic body. With Prisons department taking up the rehabilitation and taking care of the alms seekers, NGO named Amma Nanna Annada Ashramam (ANAA) is conducting the drive. The GHMC was to provide the vehicle to transport and Traffic Police was to fund for fuel charges. G Giri, in-charge of ANAA said that over the years, it’s not just the governments who side tracked the issue but also the civic body.
“GHMC was all fired up to tackle the issue before GES but it was a temporary solution as 50 per cent of the beggars came back on street by December 2. We are working on our own funds as of now and there has been no reimbursement done through payment of salaries by the GHMC,” he said. “Earlier, beggars were moved to temporary shelters for a brief period when Bill Clinton visited during N Chandrababu Naidu’s regime, then during George W Bush’s visit in YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s regime, and now for Ivanka Trump,” he said.
“The GHMC does not seem to take enough interest which it had taken while bringing the many beggars to Anand Ashram in Chanchalguda before GES. Commitment levels after GES has changed,” said a Telangana Prisons Department official on condition of anonymity.
Funds have not been released yet: Official Telangana Prisons Department official, on condition of anonymity, said that though discussions were being held to ensure that the alms seekers are taken care of, GHMC has not released funds till now.
GHMC says allegations are baseless
GHMC officials said that the initiative is being fully supported by the civic body. “The comments are
baseless. We are willing to provide food for volunteers who are carrying the drive,” said V Bhaskara Chary, Additional Commissioner, UCD, GHMC.