Minister of Social Welfare Dr. Dipu Moni said that begging will be eradicated through training and counseling of real beggars based on accurate statistics.
“The government has taken a plan to create a database of beggars across the country,’ she came up with the disclosure in response to a query raised by Independent member of Parliament Tahmina Begum at the session of the National Parliament on Sunday.
Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury presided over the session.
Dipu Moni also said that 17 thousand 710 beggars have been rehabilitated through district and upazila administration. besides, the arrested beggars in Dhaka city are being kept in government shelters and provided with employment through training.
The Social Welfare Minister said that there is no accurate statistics of how many people living without address who are dependent on others for their livelihood in Dhaka city. Due to river erosion, extreme poverty, disease, illiteracy etc., some people are resorting to begging who really need help.
However, some unemployed people have chosen begging as an easy way of earning. Besides, some evil gangs are engaging helpless people in begging to serve their interests. To rehabilitate the beggars, she said the government has undertaken the alternative employment programme in 2010-11.
Some 17,710 beggars have been rehabilitated locally through pursuing Beggar's rehabilitation and alternative employment programme," said the minister.
