Child begging rampant in Tarn Taran

Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, February 4

Child beggars are a common sight in every nook and corner of the city, especially religious places and bus stands. The district administration appears to have turned a blind eye towards it as no concrete action has been taken in this direction for years.

A year ago, the district administration had formed a district-level committee to check the menace. No positive result has been seen since the formation of the committee.

Children in large number can be seen outside the gate of the local Darbar Sahib throughout the day. Child beggars, along with their family members, reach the point where they expect a good amount of alms every day.

Bhai Arjun Singh, manager, Darbar Sahib, said the district administration was quiet aware of the situation, but did nothing. He said child begging had become almost a professional trade for some people. “Beggars elect their leaders, who send their child associates to different points. They visit them at midday to take away the money they get from passersby,” he said.

Dr Dinesh Gupta, chairman, Child Welfare Committee, said the committee had recently noticed a child-beggar of around 14 years of age outside the Madan Mohan Mandir. “He was a drug addict. The committee has sent him to a centre in Hoshiarpur where he is under treatment,” he said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sandeep Rishi said he would issue instructions to the officials concerned to check the menace.

When contacted, the SDM and the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) refused to speak on the issue.