Act in place since 1960 but begging goes on

By
Daily Excelsior
-

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 22: Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Kamar Sadhotra while replying, on behalf of Home Minister, to a Calling Attention Notice by B. R. Kundal admitted that the menace of begging is a source of nuisance causing tremendous annoyance and inconvenience to the people whether in a busy market, tourist place, roadside, railway station, bus stop or entrance to any institute or a business establishment or a religious place.
The Minister said that the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Beggary Act (JKPBA) has been enacted in the year 1960. He said Section 3 of the Act provides that if any person is found begging within an area to which this Act applies, he shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, adding that Section 4 of the Act provides for arrest of any person without a warrant who is found begging. Sub-Section 4 of Section 5 of the Act provides that if a person is declared as a beggar by a Court, it shall order his detention in a Sick Home, Children’s Home or a Beggars Home as the case may be for a period not less than one year and not more than three years in the case of first offence, he added.
Mr. Sadhotra said when a person is convicted for the second time; the Court shall order him to be detained in a Sick Home, Beggars Home or Children’s Home, as the case may be for not less than seven years. He said the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Beggars Rules, 1964 have also been notified in 1965. He said due to prevailing situation in the State for the past two decades, the infrastructure in the shape of Sick Homes, Beggar Homes and Children Homes etc could not be set up on account of which enforcement of the Act has not been possible in letter and spirit.
The Minister said that some steps have been taken including clearing the roadsides, footpaths particularly in areas of tourists’ importance and the field officers have been directed to ensure police presence in areas of their jurisdiction to prevent the beggars from causing nuisance to the public.

WhatsApp Icon Follow our WhatsApp channel