Fifty years ago | Work-permits to check beggar influx in Bombay suggested

Bombay, Aug. 31: A study panel, appointed by the Maharashtra Government to suggest measures for tackling begging in Bombay, has recommended introduction of a work-permit system for new entrants to the city.

It points out that the unchecked daily influx of outsiders into the city (300 families or 1500 persons) every day contains a number of professional beggars.

The report classifies beggars into three categories — ‘casual’, ‘professionals’, and ‘diseased’ — and suggests measures by way of relief, deterrent punishment, and treatment.

It also emphasises the importance of certain other steps such as uniform Central legislation, setting up of a State-level action committee and floating a Central fund to tackle the problem which “is essentially social and economic.”

The panel recommends that the State Government should immediately start levying a surcharge of five paise per ticket costing more than 25 paise issued by the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) to its bus commuters and the revenue be credited to the Central fund.

The report terms work-permit system as a “radical remedy” for a “radical situation”, arising out of a “cumulative effect of the influx in Bombay”. In fact the city has already begun to croak and groan under the pressure of the daily influx of outsiders and air and water pollution are causing serious problems leading to an increase in the incidence of bronchitis, eye and skin diseases and similar other ailments, the report says.