Government pays beggars only Rs 5 per month for skilled work

Mumbai: Concerned over the sorry state of beggar homes across the state, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state legislature has passed strictures about the sordid conditions of beggar homes and hostels for children in Maharashtra. Ironically, there are few beggars in these homes and yet 70 per cent of the funds is spent on wages of government employees.  

The government has paid only Rs 5 per month to beggars who were trained with some skill work. The PAC noted that beggars were getting Rs 5 per month while convicts in jails got more, which is a clear violation of section 27 of the Maharashtra Anti-Begging Act. As per the act Rs 500 is earmarked per month towards each person in the beggars’ home. So, the committee has asked the government to implement it immediately. 

The Controller and Auditor General of India had scrutinised the expenses of the Women and Child Welfare department in 2011-2012 and the PAC studied the report, which was tabled in the state assembly on Tuesday. 

The committee cited the example of a beggar home at Ahmednagar where the beggars were trained to cook, sweep and do farming but were paid a meagre Rs 5 per month. In 2012, strength of nine beggar homes was 1,560, but only 638 beggars stayed there. 

The government had spent Rs 42.10 crore in 2007-12 on beggar homes, but Rs 29.57 crore (70 per cent) of the money was spent on the salaries of employees and Rs 12.53 crore (30 per cent) were spent on facilities for beggars. 

The PAC had visited 22 women’s hostels, anganwadis and children’s homes across the state. They noticed that there was no hot water, security arrangements, CCTV there.