GHMC takes up project to remove beggars from city’s junctions

After a gap of seven years, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has once again launched a project to address the issue of beggars near traffic signals across the city.

For the past few days, special teams from the Urban Community Development wing have been identifying people engaged in begging, near major junctions and either sending them with the family members or to the shelter homes, a statement from the corporation informed.

A total 221 beggars have been identified across various circles, especially near the Basheerbagh, Secretariat, Nampally and Begum Bazar junctions, besides various religious places. Of these, 173 were men, 37 women and 11 were children. A total 19 beggars have been sent to various shelter homes run by GHMC after medical examination, while the remaining were sent home to their respective native places or families after counselling, the note said.

GHMC conducts special drives towards ‘beggar fee city’ from time to time, during which they identify beggars and homeless people and shift them to GHMC shelter homes. During an earlier drive in 2018, thousands of identified persons were taken to a rehabilitation shelter in coordination with the Prisons department, where they were imparted livelihood skills.