Beggars to be shifted to night shelters in Delhi bahead of G20 summit

New Delhi: Ahead of the G-20 summit in Delhi in March, beggars from around Kashmere Gate and Connaught Place will be removed and shifted to shelter homes run by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the slum management agency of the Delhi government, according to an official order issued on Thursday

New Delhi: Ahead of the G-20 summit in Delhi in March, beggars from around Kashmere Gate and Connaught Place will be removed and shifted to shelter homes run by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the slum management agency of the Delhi government, according to an official order issued on Thursday.

New Delhi: Humayun's Tomb is illuminated displaying the logo of G20 Summit 2023, to be held in India, in New Delhi, Thursday, Dec.1, 2022. (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav) (PTI12_01_2022_000429B) (PTI)

The order signed by DUSIB CEO K Mahesh said that the exercise is being taken up on the orders of the chief minister’s office. “This exercise is necessitated keeping in view the meetings of G-20 summit,” it added. HT has seen a copy of the order.

The order immediately kicked up a row with social activists terming the order as an attempt to by the Delhi government “to hide begging from the eyes of the world”. However, a DUSIB official denied the charge and said that the beggars will be provided food, medical care and a proper shelter in the cold weather.

Indu Prakash, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee for homeless shelters in Delhi, said, “The shelter homes of the government are in bad shape. Due to this, beggars do not go to the night shelters and prefer to stay on the streets. Payments of some NGOs running the shelter homes are pending which also affects the quality of services in these places. The government should provide quality facilities so that beggars and other homeless people are encouraged to stay there rather than the government having to remove them and put them in the centres. They should also be provided skill training so that they can get employment,” said Prakash.

A senior DUSIB official, who asked not to be named, said that the exercise should not be seen as the removal of the beggars, but their rehabilitation. “The beggars will be shifted to DUSIB shelter homes where they will be protected from risks on road, cold weather, and get foods and medical care.We will also try to make arrangements to organise skills training for them so that they can stop begging and earn their livelihood in a dignified way,” the official said.

Reaction from CM office awaited..

Delhi will host eight G-20 events beginning March 1, 2023 with the meeting of G-20 foreign ministers and culminating with the meeting of heads of governments and states on September 9-10, 2023.

According to the order, DUSIB has formed a committee of four officials to shift beggars to shelter homes.

Under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959 which has been extended to Delhi, it is the responsibility of the state government’s social welfare department to prevent begging and formulate schemes for the welfare of the beggars, the order said.