Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the Uttar Pradesh government was constantly taking action against gangs that forced kids to beg by incapacitating them.
Yogi Adityanath also described begging as dangerous for the future of children.
The chief minister made the remarks at a programme at his official residence where he distributed certificates and educational kits to children rescued from beggary under the “Mukhya Mantri Bal Seva Yojana” and Smile project.
He expressed happiness over the fact that 102 children were rescued from beggary in Lucknow. Such children have the spirit and the enthusiasm to do something big in life, he said. They are moving ahead by joining ‘Smile project’ and Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana, he said.
“If merit is the only consideration, we will be able to free Lucknow from beggary,” he further said. Yogi Adityanath also said begging was a part of Indian tradition in the ancient times.
“Through this, a ‘sannyasi’ (hermit) could understand the philosophy of society by abandoning his ego...but today, it is different, begging is harmful for children’s future,” he said.
“The children who have the opportunity to go to school and take the benefit of the government schemes are forcibly involved in begging by gangs. The government has taken strict action against many such gangs from time to time. Smile project is being run to expose the gangs that take up begging as a profession and (the project aims) to rehabilitate the affected families,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“The children who have the opportunity to go to school and take the benefit of the government schemes are forcibly involved in begging by gangs. The government has taken strict action against many such gangs from time to time. Smile project is being run to expose the gangs that take up begging as a profession and (the project aims) to rehabilitate the affected families,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Our government is improving the future of these children by connecting them with voluntary organisations. Since 2017, the Basic Education Council has been providing dresses, bags, books, sweaters, shoes, and socks to all children so that even the most impoverished among them can learn and make a positive contribution to society. Today, 1.91 crore children in the state benefit from this facility,” he said.
Adityanath also said one should move forward with optimism if one wants to succeed in life. “Youths, women and disabled people involved in begging should be rehabilitated and they should be empowered through government schemes,” he said.
With a little effort, such people can join the ranks of good and capable citizens, he added. The chief minister also said destitute people should be provided night shelters.
Asserting that hard work, not begging, is the solution to problems, he said, “A BC (banking correspondent) Sakhi of Sultanpur district has increased her turnover so much that she is earning ₹1.20-1.30 lakh each month.”
The orphans of registered labourers will be enrolled in Atal residential schools and get free residential education from class 1 to 12, he said.
The state government is establishing these schools in all the divisions of Uttar Pradesh and they will run on the CBSE pattern, he said.
Later, the state government will establish one Atal residential school in each district and thereafter one in each development block, he added.
The children who were orphaned during Covid pandemic and not able to go to school were linked to the ‘Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Child Assistance Scheme’, he said. For the welfare of children whose parents died due to diseases other than Covid, the state government started the ‘Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’, he added.
Women welfare, child development and nutrition minister Baby Rani Maurya, minister of state for basic education (independent charge) Sandeep Singh and Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharakwal also spoke at the programme.