‘State can’t provide everything to homeless, beggars’: Bombay HC

The court told the petitioner that beggars and homeless people should also work for the country and allowing further help is an invitation to refrain from working completely.

The Bombay high court on Saturday said that homeless people and beggars should work for the nation as the state cannot provide them with every amenity. The division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni made the observation while disposing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Brijesh Aarya. Aarya’s PIL sought directions to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asking the civic body to provide three nutritious meals, potable water, shelter and clean public toilets for homeless persons, beggars and poor people in the city.

The civic body informed the court that food packets were being distributed to the people belonging to this section of the society all over Mumbai with help from NGOs. (Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times)

The court told the petitioner that beggars and homeless people should also work for the country and allowing further help is an invitation to refrain from working completely. “They (homeless persons) should also work for the country. Everyone is working. Everything cannot be provided by the state. You (petitioner) are just increasing the population of this section of the society,” the high court told the petitioner. The court however asked the Maharashtra government to consider allowing people belonging to this section to use toilet facilities free of charge.

“We direct the state government to look if the homeless persons can use these toilets free of charge,” the court said. It told the petitioner that the petition lacks details of who a homeless person is, population of homeless persons in the city and other details.

The civic body informed the court that food packets were being distributed to the people belonging to this section of the society all over Mumbai with help from NGOs. The BMC further said that sanitary napkins are being provided to women belonging to these sections of the society as well. The court accepted this submission. It also said that no further direction is required to augment the distribution.

(with inputs from PTI)