Lok Sabha Question No. 357 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-20
Subject: Eradication of Begging
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL, MAULANA BADRUDDIN AJMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. *357 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2018

## ERADICATION OF BEGGING

## *357. SHRI BHEEMRAO B PATIL: SHRI BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been an increase in the number of beggars in the country and if the details thereof during the last three years, State-wise; SO,
- (6) whether the Government has any concrete plan for eradication of begging including street begging by women and children in towns and cities which projects an adverse image of the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof with the schemes/programmes launched for rehabilitating the beggars and enabling them to earn livelihood in a dignified manner; and along
- (d) the action taken by the Government for prevention of forced/ professional begging in the country? being

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI THAA WARCHAND GEHLOT)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Shri

- (a): There is no data available with regard to increase in the number of beggars in the country during the last three years  However, aS per information available with Registrar General of India (RGI), there are 4,13,670 beggars, vagrants etc. in the country as per Census 2011. The State-wise details are enclosed at Annexure-I
- (b) & (c): The  Ministry of'  Women  and Child   Development has   informed that are implementing a Centrally sponsored Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) (now "Child Protection Services" ) for children in need of care and protection (CNCP): CNCP are defined under section 2(14) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act; 2015 (JJ Act) respectively. As per Section 2(14)(ii) of JJ Act; a child who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force Or is found begging; or living on the street is included as a "child in need of care and protection The primary responsibility in execution of the JJ Act lies with the State Governments/UTs. Under ICPS, financial assistance is provided to the State   Governments/UT Administrations inter-alia, undertaking a situational  analysis of children in difficult circumstances, for setting up and maintenance of various types of Chid Care Institutions (CCIs). The scheme,   provides institutional care through CCIs. As a rehabilitative measures in these CCIs, children are provided age appropriate education either within the institution or outside in a formal education system through convergence with other schemes and programs of the Government or Civil Society. The Scheme also provides for family based non-institutional care through adoption, sponsorship and foster-care. they for,

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is considering a Scheme for   skill

- (d): As per the Zth Schedule of the Constitution of India and under serial no. 9 of State List; the subject matter of "Relief of the disabled and unemployable" comes under the purview of State List. As per information available, as many as 20 States and 2 UTs have either enacted their own Anti Beggary Legislation or adopted the legislation enacted by other States. these StatesMUTs are at Annexure-II. However; the provisions of these legislations vary from one another and their   implementation, including the measures   taken for   rehabilitation of beggars, are also not uniform.

## Annexure-[ [As referred in parts (a) of\_theLok Sabha Starred Question No357 for

Total Beggars, Vagrants etc: in India as per Census 2011

| ST Code   | India/StatelUT    | Beggars,_Vagrants etc   | Beggars,_Vagrants etc   | Beggars,_Vagrants etc   |
|-----------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|           |                   | Persons                 | Males                   | Females                 |
|           | INDIA             | 413670                  | 221673                  | 191997                  |
|           | JAMMU & KASHMIR   | 4134                    | 2550                    | 1584                    |
| 2         | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 809                     | 504                     | 305                     |
| 3         | PUNJAB            | 7939                    | 5197                    | 2742                    |
| 4         | CHANDIGARH        | 121                     | 87                      | 34                      |
| 5         | UTTARAKHAND       | 3320                    | 2374                    | 946                     |
| 6         | HARYANA           | 8682                    | 6504                    | 2178                    |
|           | NCT OF DELHI      | 2187                    | 1343                    | 844                     |
| 8         | RAJASTHAN         | 25853                   | 15271                   | 10582                   |
| 9         | UTTAR PRADESH     | 65835                   | 41859                   | 23976                   |
| 10        | BIHAR             | 29723                   | 14842                   | 14881                   |
| 11        | SIKKIM            | 68                      | 46                      | 22                      |
| 12        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 114                     | 59                      | 55                      |
| 13        | NAGALAND          | 124                     | 65                      | 59                      |
| 14        | MANIPUR           | 263                     | 117                     | 146                     |
| 15        | MIZORAM           | 53                      | 33                      | 20                      |
| 16        | TRIPURA           | 1490                    | 607                     | 883                     |
| 17        | MEGHALAYA         | 396                     | 172                     | 224                     |
| 18        | ASSAM             | 22116                   | 7269                    | 14847                   |
| 19        | WEST BENGAL       | 81244                   | 33086                   | 48158                   |
| 20        | JHARKHAND         | 10819                   | 5522                    | 5297                    |
| 21        | ODISHA            | 17965                   | 9981                    | 7984                    |
| 22        | CHHATTISGARH      | 10198                   | 4995                    | 5203                    |
| 23        | MADHYA PRADESH    | 28695                   | 17506                   | 11189                   |
| 24        | GUJARAT           | 13445                   | 8549                    | 4896                    |
| 25        | DAMAN & DIU       | 22                      | 15                      |                         |
|           | DADRA & NAGAR     |                         |                         |                         |
| 26        | HAVELI            | 19                      | 7                       | 12                      |
| 27        | MAHARASHTRA       |                         | 14020                   | 10287                   |
| 28        | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 30218                   | 16264                   | 13954                   |
| 29        | KARNATAKA         | 12270                   | 6436                    | 5834                    |
| 30        | GOA               | 247                     | 131                     | 116                     |
| 31        | LAKSHADWEEP       | 2                       | 0                       | 2                       |
| 32        | KERALA            | 4023                    | 2397                    | 1626                    |
| 33        | TAMIL NADU        | 6814                    | 3789                    | 3025                    |
| 34        | PUDUCHERRY        | 99                      | 54                      | 45                      |
| 35        | A & N ISLANDS     | 56                      | 22                      | 34                      |

## Annexure-II

## Existing State Anti Beggary Laws

| SLNo.   | States/Union                  | Legislation_in Force_                                                                                                                                                     |
|---------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         | States                        |                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 1 .     | Andhra Pradesh                | The Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Beggary Act;1977                                                                                                                         |
| 2.      | Assam                         | The Assam Prevention of Begging Act; 1964                                                                                                                                 |
|         | Bihar                         | The Bihar Prevention of Begging Act, 1951                                                                                                                                 |
| 4       | Chhattisgarh                  | Adopted the Madhya Pradesh Bikshavirty Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1973                                                                                                            |
|         | Goa                           | The Goa, Daman & Diu Prevention of Begging Act; 1972                                                                                                                      |
| 6_      | Gujarat                       | Adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act; 1959                                                                                                                        |
| 7 .     | Haryana                       | The Haryana Prevention of Begging Act, 1971                                                                                                                               |
| 8 .     | Himachal Pradesh              | The Himachal Pradesh Prevention of Begging Act; 1979                                                                                                                      |
| 9_      | Jammu & Kashmir               | The J&K Prevention of Begging Act; 1960                                                                                                                                   |
| 10      | Jharkhand                     | Adopted the Bihar Prevention of Begging Act; 1951                                                                                                                         |
| 11.     | Karnataka                     | The Karnataka Prevention of Begging Act; 1975                                                                                                                             |
| 12.     | Kerala                        | The Madras Prevention of Begging Act,1945, the Travancore Prevention of  Begging Act; 1120 and the cochin Vagrancy Act,1120 are in force in different areas of the State. |
| 13.     | Madhya Pradesh                | Madhya Pradesh Bikshavirty Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1973                                                                                                                        |
| 14.     | Maharashtra                   | The Bombay Prevention of Begging Act; 1959                                                                                                                                |
| 15      | Punjab                        | The Punjab Prevention of Begging Act; 1971                                                                                                                                |
| 16      | Sikkim                        | The Sikkim Prohibition of Beggary Act2004                                                                                                                                 |
| 17.     | Tamil Nadu                    | The Madras Prevention of Begging Act_1945                                                                                                                                 |
| 18.     | Uttar Pradesh                 | The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Begging Act;1972                                                                                                                         |
| 19      | Uttarakhand                   | Adopted the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Begging Act; 1972                                                                                                                |
| 20      | West Bengal                   | The_West Bengal Vagrancy Act_1943                                                                                                                                         |
| 21      | Union Territories Daman & Diu | The Goa; Daman Diu Prevention of Begging Act; 1972                                                                                                                        |
| 22      | Delhi                         | Adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act; 1959                                                                                                                        |