The beggar whom you are giving alms to, considering him poor, oppressed, helpless, helpless, may be richer than you. Yes, you read it right! He has more money in his bank account and is living in a good house. This fascinating fact was revealed during the campaign and survey to arrest beggars in Lucknow. It also highlighted that beggars are way ahead of many employed people in terms of earnings. Many beggars were even found with smartphones and PAN cards.
In the survey done by DUDA, Municipal Corporation and Social Welfare Department it was found that in Lucknow, 5,312 beggars have been found. Now a special campaign is being run to provide them the benefits of government schemes and to connect them with the mainstream. Forms are being filled. Aadhar cards are being taken. During the survey, such shocking facts have come to light.
Women beg more
The survey revealed that women are earning the most from begging. The daily earnings of pregnant women begging with small children in their arms is up to Rs 3,000 each. Old people and children are earning from nine hundred to one and a half to two thousand. Apart from this, food, drink and clothes are also available free of cost.
On this basis, the officers have calculated that if the average earning of a beggar is assumed to be Rs 1,200 per day, then the people of Lucknow are distributing more than Rs 63 lakh in alms to the total beggars every day. According to the project officer, a female beggar was found, who already has six children. She is again pregnant these days. When asked she said that one gets more alms when she is pregnant. Due to this, the monthly earning goes up to Rs 80-90 thousand.
Not compulsion but profession
So, in a way, it is no longer a compulsion but it has become a profession. DDA project officer Saurabh Tripathi said that he has been in the area of beggars for many days because of the beggars. Only a few are begging under compulsion. 10 percent are professionals, who come from Hardoi, Barabanki, Sitapur and Rae Bareli.
