‘They won’t let you go without fetching money’: Locals
SRINAGAR: Dog menace apart, people in city are facing yet another nuisance in the form of non-local beggars who have taken positions at various important points in the city, especially in commercial hub, Lal Chowk.
Last year the Jammu and Kashmir government has banned begging at public and religious places in Srinagar and directed police to arrest the offenders.
Though, these beggars don’t bite, but they unleash equal amount of fear by chasing the pedestrians to fetch money.
This has not only annoyed the people but is also giving hard time to tourists with sources saying that trucks filled with non local beggars are reportedly being unloaded at various key points of the city.
“A truck with non-local beggars was seen near Shakti Sweets, Regal chowk on last Friday evening. We don’t know where the truck later dropped these beggars but it is for sure,” a local shopkeeper said.
These beggars are frequently seen on the busy city streets and do not leave any passerby without fetching money from him or her. “They will chase you if you don’t pay them anything,” the locals said.
“Why this place is being filled with beggars. Most of them are those who cannot even walk. I think it is big business nexus and government should take serious note of the problem,” said Muhammad Ashraf, a local shopkeeper in Lal chowk.
A rough survey shows around 100 non-local beggars, most of them children, are stationed at various points from Regal Chowk to Amira Kadal. Most of them are from Rajasthan and its adjoining states.
A non-local girl, some 14 years old, who was seen begging at Pratap Park, said she came here along with her father. “I am a Muslim. I was studying at a local madrassa at my village in Rajasthan. A Kashmiri, we call him contractor, told my papa to come Kashmir for a job. The contractor took Rs 5000 from us and brought us here. We don’t know where he (contractor) is now. We are now begging here as we have no other work to do,” she said.
These beggars could be seen pulling the dupattas of women and even chase men to fetch money.
“They will not let you go unless you pay them some money. If you enter a shop they will chase you. This has become a serious concern and authorities should do something,” said Sajad Ahmad, a teacher at a local college.
Last year order, issued by Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Srinagar being the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir holds a great importance in the socio-economic landscape of the state and so it is contingent upon the administration to take all measures necessary to make the district more citizen friendly and prevent public nuisance at all costs.
“Begging being an offence under the Act (Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Beggary Act I960), it is imperative that strict necessary action under law be initiated against the offenders,” it stated.
The deputy commissioner said, “It has been observed that off late there is a proliferation of beggars on the streets of Srinagar which creates massive nuisance for the general public.”
The order stated any person found soliciting alms in a public place, or in or about a mosque, temple or other place of public worship, whether or not under any pretence and entering on any private premises for the purpose of soliciting alms shall be immediately arrested under Section 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Beggary Act, 1960 read with Section 61 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Svt 1989.
Those exposing or exhibiting with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease whether of human being or an animal shall also be arrested, it said.
“Also, any person found having no visible means of subsistence and wandering about or remaining in any public place or in a temple, mosque or other place of public worship in such condition or manner as makes it like that the person doing so exists by soliciting alms or allowing himself to be used as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting alms, does not include soliciting money or fee or gift for a purpose authorized by law or authorized in the prescribed manner by the District Magistrate, shall also be arrested,” it read.
The deputy commissioner directed senior superintendents of police, Srinagar and Budgam, to implement the order in letter and spirit and report the number of such arrests on daily basis. (PTK)
