BENGALURU: The Legislature Committee on Women and Child Welfare recommended the State government to increase the number of beggar relief centres and increase intake in the existing ones.
The committee, chaired by Congress legislator Shakunthala Shetty, took serious note of the failure on part of both rural and urban local bodies for not remitting beggar cess to the Social Welfare Department. The committee also recommended the government to improve the living conditions at the centres.
Noting that the infrastructure at the existing centres are poor, the committee urged the State government to take immediate measures to equip the centres with better bathing, kitchen and drinking water facilities.
Opining that the lack of enforcement of the Prohibition of Beggary Act had led to the increase in beggar menace, the committee recommended the state government to delegate power of arresting beggars to the respective jurisdictional police officers. The committee also recommended to constitute an exclusive squad to nab the beggars and put them into rehabilitation centres.