The Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has urged Advocate General Devidas Pangam not to mislead the High Court with what it described as incorrect statements regarding non-Goan beggars in the state. Responding to the AG’s remarks that people from outside Goa arrive during the tourist season to beg, DRAG alleged that many non-Goan beggars are actually brought to Goa by an organised begging mafia.
The association claimed that the existence of such rackets is widely known among Goans and alleged that law enforcement agencies have failed to act against the masterminds despite the exploitation of women, children and persons with disabilities. DRAG said it is common knowledge that vehicles transport beggars to designated locations in towns and cities across Goa.
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The organisation maintained that unless police take decisive action against the alleged racket, eliminating non-Goan begging in the state will remain difficult. It also questioned why NGOs are expected to rehabilitate non-Goan beggars without receiving government funding and demanded that the mafia be dismantled and the beggars returned to their native states.
