The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ration cards for beggars

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 26, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ration cards for beggars

M. Malleswara Rao

HYDERABAD: Days are not far off when none in the State will beg for food.

Beggars have been marked as "top priority group" among the poor for issuing white ration cards, which will get them a monthly quota of 20 kg of rice and about 10 litres of kerosene.

They will face no hassles either in getting the cards. They only need to go to the nearest "Designated Photography Location (DPL)" and everything will be taken care of by volunteers there. The DPLs are functioning in municipalities/corporations facilitating distribution of ration cards, which is in full swing in urban areas now.

As a special case, the beggars have been exempted from mentioning house address in the application. "This is for the simple reason that they have no permanent address and live on footpaths," said Bhanwarlal, Commissioner, Civil Supplies. The income limit of Rs. 24,000 per annum, fixed for other poorer sections, does not apply to them but if they really earn something (by way of begging), they should state accordingly.

There are an estimated 70,000 beggars in the State, almost all of them in towns and cities. Nearly 25,000 out of them have been issued white cards so far under an anti-beggary drive taken up through ration cards for the first time by the Government.

Those in Hyderabad will get the benefit later as the distribution has not yet been taken up here.

Central scheme

Mr. Bhanwarlal wants to bring the cardholders among beggars under the Centrally-funded "Antyodaya Anna Yojana" so that they will get 35 kg of rice a month and at a cheaper rate - Rs. 3 per kg. The rice given to them under the State's subsidised scheme is costlier--Rs. 5.25 a kg.

Asked if there was any guarantee that the ration cards would keep them away from begging, Mr. Bhanwarlal said: "Government does not discriminate against anyone in issuing ration cards. It is out moral duty to give them food. After being assured of food, the beggar may stop begging.

The biggest benefit that the ration card is giving them is self-respect and with that they may turn new leaf in their lives".

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Andhra Pradesh