Move afoot to rid Goa of beggar menace

VIBHA VERMA

vibha@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: The nuisance of beggars, troublemakers especially for tourists vacationing in Goa, is soon expected to phase out if the proposal to set up a remand home for beggars – a first shelter home for this disadvantaged group in the society — is accepted by the Manohar Parrikar-government.

While this proposal moved in May 2013 is under serious consideration of the government, two separate institutes for Alzheimer and psychiatric patients will come up by the next financial year. According to a highly placed official in the government, the rehabilitation home for Alzheimer patients is the first of its kind in the state whilst the psychiatric institute will indeed ease the burden on the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB). 

All three institutes were proposed by the Institute of Public Assistance (Provedoria) at the 30750 square metres land in Chimbel. “According to the last census, Goa has 10,000 persons approximately suffering from Alzheimers. The treatment is available at Goa Medical College but several among them are neglected by their families. The institute will provide all facilities under one roof to such people,” disclosed the official. 

Although a dedicated institute is not available with the Provedoria at present, it is still offering psychiatric care to 37 patients lodged separately at its existing Home for the Aged infrastructure in Chimbel.  

As the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation is nearly to take up the two projects, the Provedoria is awaiting sanction for the beggars remand home, which is an urgent need to curb the menace against the backdrop of Goa receiving 26-lakh tourists annually.  

As per the proposal, it will accommodate 100 beggars who will undergo various recreational activities, in a bid to desist them from plunging into the begging racket again.

“Goa Police detains as many as 150 beggars every year, majority of them during the tourist season. In the absence of a shelter home for them, the court releases them after imposing a fine. Absence of a remand home is encouraging the street beggars to continue seeking alms,” a secretariat official told Herald. 

The proposal was put up with the main objective to reduce the menace while it points out that in the last two years, it has increased 200 times. Whereas non-inhabitant beggars in Goa have increased almost 250 times since the year 2010. State authorities have been reeling through severe difficulties to identify genuine beggars because the begging racket has masked the real issue of homelessness. 

“Influx of destitute and beggars from the neighbouring places have been a problem all round the year, especially tourist season. Once the beggars rehabilitation home is set up, such people will be lodged in it where they will not only perform their own chores but also indulge themselves to learn various creative arts and crafts to make them financially independent,” said the official.

“A proposal for setting up the remand home for beggars will help in combating the beggar menace in Goa and provide sufficient amenities so that beggars might have a dignified life,” reads an extract from the proposal. The institute will also have presence of police personnel to ensure the inmates don’t escape.