VEHARI-Patronised by corrupt police and administration officers, swarms of beggars mostly women and children are seen in the markets, shopping centres, roads and streets across the city with Club Road and Jinnah Road as their choicest locations.
No ordinary beggar could practice begging at such locations because they are covertly auctioned by corrupt elements in police and other related departments for huge money called extortion.
Several groups of beggars have occupied main thoroughfares like Jinnah and Zia Shahed roads where one can see a lot of children and women thronging vehicles asking for alms. The beggars use new techniques to attract people as their sole purpose is to take money from them. Professional beggary is becoming a social menace as more and more beggars including physically fit, healthy and young men, women and children are turning towards the profession.
Mosques and other religious places are also amongst the most profitable source for the professional beggars. A large number of men, women and children beg regularly at roads and streets from dawn to dusk. Most of them are professional and expert in begging. It is an indication of weakness of the administration and police to implement the anti-beggary laws.
Non-profit organisations can perform their positive roles for the deserving poor. “Non-deserving beggars are actually exploiting the needy persons and we should deal them with sternly, a social worker said.
Citizen said that police and administration officers should pay attention to the issue and launch a massive drive against the professional beggars with the help of media and other organisations.
Talking about the issue, DSP Imran Rasheed said that multiple elements are involved in the profession. “We are monitoring the issue and compiling the lists of beggars and crackdown on the professional beggars is about to start under the laws. Legal action is also very necessary but we should also know the reason behind the begging so that we can eliminate this evil permanently; no doubt this is a well organised mafia having a chain in three tehsils of district Vehari,” he added.