Lucknow's 'Rich' Beggars: Earning ₹1 Lakh a Month using Smartphones and PAN Cards!
Lucknow, India: Shocking findings of the recent surveys in Lucknow have shown that many beggars of the city earn an amount ranging from ₹90,000 to ₹1 lakh in a month, more than the monthly income of many salaried persons. A survey conducted by Social Welfare Department and District Urban Development Agency, DUDA, found that some beggars even have smartphones and PAN cards, something that reflects a high degree of organisation in begging as a means of living.
Survey Findings: High Earnings and Surprising Assets
During the survey, officials spotted around 5,312 beggars in Lucknow. Most of them had significant earnings month-on-month to the tune of almost ₹1 lakh. This means they earn almost ₹12 lakh a year. Officials were surprised when several beggars, one of whom is Aman from Lakpeda Bagh in Barabanki, owned smartphones and PAN cards. DUDA project officer Saurabh Tripathi said that some 90% of the beggars seem professional beggars, who have migrated significantly from neighboring districts like Hardoi, Barabanki, Sitapur, Unnao and Raebareli.
Begging as a Highly Lucrative Source of Income
Beggers, particularly women with small children and elderly are reported to gather huge sums of money on a daily basis amounting to ₹3,000 in day for the women. The amounts gathered by children and elderly beggers lies between ₹900 to ₹2,000 a day. This common practice has seen Lucknow residents dropping an estimated amount of ₹63 lakh daily as alms.
Plans on Welfare of Beggers
This was a timely response from the Social Welfare Department and DUDA that has initiated programs to enroll beggars into government welfare schemes. The authorities were making efforts to link up beggars to existing resources and services through the issuance of identity cards, thus reducing dependence on begging.
Legal Framework and National Issues
In a recent development, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging anti-begging laws in 14 states, including Uttar Pradesh, and allowed states to go ahead with their laws against begging. Petitioner argued that such laws infringe on the rights of the impoverished under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, but the SC apprised that the petitioner seek recourse through relevant High Courts.
Since Lucknow's survey has exposed complexities of begging in this society, it is a task for those who govern to perform the balancing act between enforcing the law and encouraging people who deserve support.