Child beggars roam freely in Amritsar as authorities turn blind eye

Despite claims made by the administration to curb the number of child beggars, authorities have failed to tackle the social evil as kids as young as four years old can be spotted at various traffic lights and other busy areas in the city.

Despite claims made by the administration to curb the number of child beggars, authorities have failed to tackle the social evil as kids as young as four years old can be spotted at various traffic lights and other busy areas in the city.

Child beggars spotted at Custom Chowk in Amritsar. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo)

A mere look around the city reveals a sad picture as numerous children can be seen begging in groups at prime areas such as Lawrence Road, Malviya Road, Crystal Chowk, Custom Chowk and other such places. Though many would sympathise with such a situation, these child beggars are more or less seen as a menace by commuters who feel harassed when accosted by them. They say they cause trouble by tapping car windows or disturbing twowheelers at traffic points, blocking traffic flow and also risking their own lives in the process.

Vikas Verma, a commuter at Custom Chowk, said, “These kids do this throughout the day. Police are not bothered enough to handle the situation.”

Another commuter Priyanka Kapur, a fitness expert, feels that the issue has become a part and parcel of daily life.