HYDERABAD: A workshop on providing rehabilitation to beggars was conducted in the city on Saturday. Attended by various stakeholders, the workshop was part of a national campaign directed at improving lives of beggars.
Speaking on the occasion, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment secretary R Subramanyam said that the importance of any city would be measured by the way it takes care of its poor. He lauded the city administration for taking up 2BHK and Annapurna schemes in the city.
"The success of Hyderabad in implementing these schemes has resulted in the Central government choosing the city for the pilot project aimed at comprehensive rescue and rehabilitation of persons involved in begging. The Centre would provide Rs 10 crore for the project," he said.
He urged the officials and stakeholders to prepare a city action plan which would be implemented from the month of April. The need for involving community in providing shelter, access to medical services and sustainable livelihoods to beggars, must be discussed and deliberated, he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment Department of Social Justice and Empowerment joint secretary Radhika Chakravarthy said that a strategy to tackle begging was formulated at the national-level after discussions with social activists, academicians, NGOs and other stakeholders involved in the rehabilitation of beggars.
"As many as 10 cities across the country, including Hyderabad, were identified for the pilot project," she added. Welcoming the move, MAUD Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar assured that the GHMC would cooperate with the Centre.