MARGAO: The commercial capital of Margao has long been reeling under the challenges posed by beggars, who appear to be abounding in the bustling town and impacting road safety and traffic management, among other aspects. While the administration hasn’t yet discussed plans for a home for destitutes in South Goa – as mandated by the Supreme Court – the district magistrate’s office has finally decided to convene a meeting this month to deliberate over the matter and draw up a concrete action plan to tackle it.
Margao police said they have registered cases against 112 beggars during 2020 and 2021, while cases of child beggars have touched 55 during the same period. They said that most beggars travel from other states to Goa because it is a tourist destination, and keep on moving from one place to another because they find it easy to make a living by begging.
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Police inspector of the Margao town police, Sachin Narvekar, told Herald that while the police do round up beggars and even produce them before court, they get back onto the streets within a few days. “It has become very difficult to control the situation, and hence, there is an urgent need to come out with a proper action plan,” he said, while proposing the setting up of a detention centre to deal with the increasing numbers of beggars in Margao and its vicinity.
South Goa additional collector-I, Srinet Kotwale, however, was of the opinion that begging was a kind of organised crime and that a home for destitutes alone would not be able to resolve the problem. “The South Goa district magistrate has convened a meeting to discuss a shelter or place to stay for beggars/ vagabonds in the Salcete and Mormugao talukas, and the date will be fixed very soon,” he said.
