New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) Apart from helping beggars and the homeless during winters, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) plans to study the Indore model for a ban on giving alms to beggars for the larger interest of helping the destitute get over substance use.

“NDMC wants to help beggars and we are open to studying the best practices in the country in the field,” NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal told , expressing his openness to learn from the Indore model.

Besides being the cleanest city in the country, Indore is known to be a pioneer in civic governance and a role model for others. Indore‘s smart city initiatives have won the cleanliness award for the seventh year in a row.

In a bid to transform its streets and align with the Union government's initiative under the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme, Indore has announced a ban on giving alms to beggars starting January 1, 2025.

The ban on giving alms in Indore follows findings of a government study which showed that children and youth involved in begging were using thousands of rupees collected every week for drug addiction and other anti-social activities.

Highlighting the night shelters and toilets made ready for winter challenges for beggars, Chahal said the NDMC has converted some of its community centres and barat ghars to help the homeless and beggars brave the winter chill.

The NDMC Vice Chairperson said the civic agency plans to engage with NGOs at a deeper level to help beggars and the homeless give up living on the streets and addiction.

Chahal said NDMC and NGOs regularly hold camps for beggars but the civic agency is now looking to step up its counselling campaign for beggars and their families to convince them to shift to permanent shelters and abandon begging.

The 42 sq km area under NDMC represents a smart city in itself and is considered to be the window to a developed India. The civic agency, which was ranked 7th in Swachh Survekshan rankings for 2023, competes with 400 other cities in domains such as smart mobility, digital payments, EV infrastructure, smart public spaces, civic services and beautification, apart from other statutory functions like waste management and sanitation.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

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