Team Herald
MARGAO: Despite the number of beggars in South Goa continuing to rise by the day, police stations across the district have booked just 70 cases under the Goa Prevention of Begging Act from January to April this year.
Explaining that the Act has provisions for the arrest, detention, and rehabilitation of beggars (in graphic), President of South Goa Advocate’s Association Prasad Naik alleged that no beggar has been punished under Section 6 of the Act in Goa.
Margao, Fatorda and Vasco are fast emerging as hotspots for beggars with several such people seen carrying emaciated young children in their arms while dodging vehicles at traffic signals and busy junctions to ask for alms or to sell toys and automobile accessories.
In many instances, beggars, especially pre-teens seeking food and drink, do not allow motorists to proceed until they have given them either cash or eatables. This tendency in turn causes traffic hazards and also disrupts smooth vehicular movement at signals.
The worst affected area in South Goa is the commercial town of Margao. But just 35 cases have been booked under the Prevention of Begging Act from the start of this year
till April 23. The Fatorda police have booked only two cases while 33 have been registered at the Vasco police station.
Locals have long been demanding some kind of solution to the problem. They’ve asked the authorities to either rehabilitate the beggars or apprehend them so that they stop risking their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians on busy road stretches in South Goa.
According to Ravi Dessai, the Police Inspector of Maina Curtorim Police Station, his team keeps a strict watch on the activities of beggars within their jurisdiction. If a beggar is found, they are brought to the police station and booked under the relevant section. Later, they are produced before the court for necessary action. Dessai added that there are very few beggars in his jurisdiction.
“Apart from disrupting smooth traffic flow, beggars in Margao encroach on footpaths to reside tand rest, thereby preventing pedestrians from using the pavements,” says Margao resident Simon Cardoso. “The departments concerned should remove them from these areas and rehabilitate them.”
