Team Herald
VASCO: The drive to remove beggars from busy junctions and the corridors of the Mormugao municipal building in Vasco has fallen flat. After almost two months since they were driven away, beggars are back on the streets and at the municipal building.
Two months ago, Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Vice Chairperson Tara Kerkar had written to the authorities about the problem, after which Vasco police launched an extensive drive to curb the beggar menace, and had kept a tab on the situation. However, the beggars have returned to the municipal building, which is visited by hundreds of people every day.
“Beggars have started occupying and dirtying the corridors. Additionally, mentally unsound people have joined the beggars. These people defecate in the corridors. But nobody cares about this menace,” said Sandeep Patel, a local businessman who frequently visits the municipal building.
The worst-affected people are the officials of the mamlatdar office, which is located on the ground floor of the municipal building. The office windows face a corridor that has been occupied by several beggars.
“We have stopped opening the windows of our office due to a foul smell emerging from the corridors. Whenever we complain to the police, the police take the beggars, but the beggars return. We have no respite from this menace,” said a senior mamlatdar officer who did not wish to be named.
The MMC building has became a safe haven for beggars. At night, they move to the interior of the building, whose entrances are open the entire day despite the MMC chairperson’s assurance that all entrances/exits would be closed after 7 pm.
