For Upcoming G20 Summit, Beggars From This Delhi Area To Be Relocated

A meeting to chalk out a plan to remove and relocate beggars from the Hanuman Mandir area near the Kashmere Gate ISBT to night shelters of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board will be held on Saturday, officials said.

In view of the upcoming G20 Summit, the Delhi government had issued directions on Thursday to remove and relocate the beggars from the Hanuman Mandir area.

Officials of the Delhi government's Social Welfare department, DUSIB and police will take part in the meeting, officials said.

DUSIB member Bipin Rai on Friday said discussion on the rescue drive was held on Friday. Facilities that are provided at the DUSIB shelter homes will be provided to the beggars once they are shifted he said.

"First, we will map the beggars and hold surveys to understand how many of them are there near the Kashmere Gate ISBT. We will also find out the number of family members of the beggars and proceed with the plan accordingly.

"We had a detailed discussion on Friday and a meeting with social welfare department and Delhi Police will be held on Saturday," Rai told PTI.

A four-member committee, under the chief engineer of DUSIB, has been constituted to coordinate with government agencies and prepare an action plan by Tuesday to "shift the beggars to night shelters located at Dwarka and other places where space is available".

"CM has directed that beggars around Hanuman Mandir near ISBT should be removed and relocated in the night shelters of DUSIB. This exercise is necessitated keeping in view the meetings of the G20 summit," an order issued by DUSIB CEO K Mahesh said.

Speaking about the plan of the Delhi government, Convenor of National Forum for Homeless Housing Rights, Sunil Kumar Aledia alleged the decision has been taken "only to keep the area clean" and "free from the sight of unwanted people".

"The High Court has decriminalised the act of beggary and therefore nobody can be punished for it, nor any coercive action can be taken. Removing people from any place against their will, amounts to defiance of court order," Aledia said.

He further said the government should implement community-based model where outreach teams convince people to quit beggary and provide adequate support for the same.

He said that under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which has been extended to Delhi, it is the mandate of the Social Welfare Department to prevent begging and formulate schemes for their welfare.

India took over the presidency of the G20 on December 1. The summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies starting in December.

The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries and the European Union. Its members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

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