Lok Sabha Question No. 1831 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-08
Subject: Problem of Beggary
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, DINESH TRIVEDI, MALLIKARJUN  KHARGE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1831

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.03.2016

## 1831.               PROBLEM OF BEGGARY

## DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI DINESH TRIVEDI:

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

SHRI NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any data/estimates of the total number of beggars in the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has any proposal/scheme to solve the problem of beggary in the country, if so, the details and the salient features thereof;
- (c)  whether  reports  of  beggars  being  controlled  by  some  exploitative  gangs  have  been  received  by  the Government, if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d)  whether the Government has any proposal to provide Aadhaar Card to beggars to help them avail the social security benefits from the Government and if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken in this regard; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to provide alternative employment to beggars and bring them into mainstream of the society?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

- (a)  The  Office  of  Registrar  General  &  Census  Commissioner,  India  has  informed  that  according  to  the Census 2011, the total population of Beggars, Vagrants etc. in India is 413670. The State-wise details are enclosed as Annexure.
- (b)   The  States  are  responsible  for  taking  necessary  preventive  and  rehabilitative  steps.  As  per  available information, 20 States and 2 Union Territories have either enacted their own Anti-Beggary Legislation or adopted legislations enacted by other States/UTs. Presently, there is no scheme of the Central Government on Beggary. National Consultation Meetings were held with the representatives of Central/State Governments, NGOs, Institutes and Individual Experts in the field of Beggary to discuss the issues related to Beggary. In these meetings, it was inter-alia, recommended to explore the feasibility of framing a Central Scheme  for  rehabilitation  of  Beggars.  Accordingly,  a  Scheme  for  Protection,  Care  and  Rehabilitation  of Destitutes is under formulation which has, inter-alia, provision for providing skill development training to the able bodies destitute.
- (c)  No such information is available in the Ministry.
- (d)   Unique Identification  Authority of India (UIDAI) has informed that they are mandated to issue Aadhaar to the residents of India. Any individual, who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI, can enrol for Aadhaar. Use of Aadhaar for delivering services to the residents depends upon the Ministries/Departments providing those services.
- (e)  As stated in part (b) above.

****

## Annexure [As referred to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Question No. 1831 for 08.03.2016] Total Beggars, Vagrants etc. in India as per Census 2011

| ST Code   | India/State/UT   | Beggars, Vagrants etc.   | Beggars, Vagrants etc.   | Beggars, Vagrants etc.   |
|-----------|------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|           |                  | Persons                  | Males                    | Females                  |
| 1         | 2                | 3                        | 4                        | 5                        |
|           | INDIA            | 413670                   | 221673                   | 191997                   |

|   1 | 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 |
|   7 | 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 |      7 |
|  26 | DADRA &NAGARHAVELI |     19 |      7 |     12 |
|  27 | MAHARASHTRA        |  24307 |  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 &NISLANDS        |     56 |     22 |     34 |