ITMS to help admn tighten noose around organised beggary rackets in Lucknow
With an aim to dismantle organised beggary rackets, the district administration will be identifying the real culprits and intensifying its crackdown on “parachute beggars”, those dropped at various crossings.
Besides reading number plates of the vehicles violating traffic rules and identifying people involved in criminal cases, the CCTV cameras installed at different intersections across the city will now have the additional responsibility. As part of its crackdown on organised beggary rackets, the district administration will leverage the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) to identify and arrest those exploiting vulnerable individuals.
With an aim to dismantle organised beggary rackets, the district administration will be identifying the real culprits and intensifying its crackdown on “parachute beggars”, those dropped at various crossings.
“Contractors are now employing ‘parachute beggars’ to circumvent crackdown. To combat this, the district administration will utilise CCTV cameras installed at 45 major intersections across the city. As soon as any suspicious individual linked to begging is detected by the cameras, the ITMS will immediately alert the concerned police station and the district administration’s nodal officer, leading to their apprehension and subsequent rehabilitation,” chief development officer Ajay Jain said.
It has been observed that many of the beggars, particularly women and children, are being transported to the city daily from various districts. Following a recent administrative push to tackle child beggary, the issue has re-emerged in a more organised form, an official said. He added that chief minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his desire to ensure no child is seen begging on the streets and that every child should instead be enrolled in school.
This development follows a large-scale raid conducted on Wednesday under the supervision of district magistrate (DM) Vishakh G, targeting different key intersections in the city. The operation led to the identification and rehabilitation for 36 individuals involved in beggary.
Investigations revealed that some women were being routinely brought in from nearby districts to beg at intersections such as Arjunganj, and then returned in the evening. In one case, a couple living in a Gudamba slum was found forcing their own child to beg.
The DM stated that such individuals would be under constant surveillance at all 45 ITMS-monitored crossings. The identified individuals would be offered rehabilitation, and strict action, including FIRs and imprisonment, would be taken against anyone found bringing women and children to the city intersections for begging.
The administration is also planning to track beggars who shift their locations in response to the increased monitoring.
This intensified effort is part of a statewide directive from the chief minister to address the issue. All districts are implementing strict measures to identify beggars and provide them with employment opportunities. The ITMS will also assist in determining the government allowances to be provided.
District probation officer Vikas Singh emphasised that the rigorous approach aims to make these individuals self-reliant through available facilities. He added that beggars migrating from border areas to other districts are also being identified, with monitoring being conducted in two phases daily.
The district administration had on Wednesday launched a crackdown on child begging, after which the first-ever FIRs were filed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The action followed a surprise inspection led by DM Vishak G at key city intersections, resulting in the rescue of 36 individuals, including children and the elderly, and the initiation of legal and rehabilitation procedures.
During the surprise inspections at Arjunganj and Tedhi Pulia intersections, the district administration registered FIRs at Sushant Golf City and Gudamba police stations for exploiting minors for begging.
The FIRs were filed under Section 76 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, marking a major step in protecting vulnerable children from exploitation, district authorities confirmed.
The operation led to the rescue of 36 individuals, including children, women, and the elderly. Medical examinations were carried out on the minors, and the process of rehabilitation began through the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Lucknow. Three elderly individuals were also rescued and sent to an old age home.
To tackle the growing issue of begging in the city, the district administration has deployed joint teams from the municipal corporation, district probation office, and other relevant agencies. These teams have been stationed at 19 major traffic intersections across Lucknow, actively monitoring to rescue beggars and those exploiting minors.
