NEW DELHI: Taking grim view of the situation of beggars, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government on a petition seeking vaccination and rehabilitation and said it will not take an elitist view to ban begging in the wake of the pandemic.
Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah said beggars cannot be wished away from public places and traffic junctions. “No one would like to beg if not for poverty,” the bench said, while turning down a petition to restrain begging at traffic lights, markets and public places in light of the pandemic.
The court observed that people are generally compelled to beg to eke out some elementary livelihood due to the absence of education and employment. “This is a socio-economic problem. We cannot say that they will not be allowed to beg,” the bench remarked while issuing notices to the Centre and the Delhi government, seeking their response within two weeks on the prayer made in the petition for rehabilitation of beggars and vagabonds, their vaccination and providing them with shelter and food amid the pandemic.