CUTTACK: The district administration’s plan to remove beggars from the busy thoroughfares of the millennium city and rehabilitate them has fallen flat.
The drive was launched by the administration with much fanfare two and a half years ago but has already fizzled out.
A large number of beggars can be seen at the railway station, bus stand and religious places.
Acting on orders of the department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disability (SSEPD), the administration had prepared a blueprint to identify and rehabilitate beggars in the district in 2017.
Accordingly, a survey to identify beggars was conducted in 14 blocks and four urban local bodies of the district.
Considering the larger concentration of beggars in urban areas, the administration focused on Cuttack railway station, Badambadi bus stand and Chandi Mandir in the city, Choudwar Municipality, Athagarh and Banki NACs.
Around 70 volunteers of various NGOs, community organisers, anganwadi workers and all block social security officers were engaged in the process.
Of total 6,390 beggars identified in the State, Cuttack tops the list with 1,060 followed by Balangir (708), Mayurbhanj (485), Sundargarh (467) and Ganjam (458). Deogarh has the least 16 number of beggars.
The administration had also planned to counsel beggars for rehabilitation in consideration with their status, strength and ability. It was decided to provide education to child beggars and vocational training to youth.
Similarly, the destitute and elderly beggars were supposed to get free accommodation, food and health care.
“They came, enumerated and went back with our details about two and a half years ago. Thereafter, we don’t know anything about our rehabilitation,” said a group of beggars near Chandi temple.
It is alleged that taking advantage of callousness of the department, some unscrupulous persons have indulged in running begging rackets by engaging orphans and children of poor families in and around the city.