Lucknow: In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the Municipal Corporation built a shelter home in 2009 near Akbarnagar near the dam to integrate beggars into the mainstream.
This shelter home, built at a cost of lakhs, has now turned into ruins. Along with this, illegal encroachments have also taken place here. A car market is running here and a bike workshop has also opened. The Municipal Corporation had constructed a four-storey complex in the Mahanagar ward with Rs 50 lakh, however, the upper floor could be built incompletely. The shops in the basement and the first floor were given on rent.
After a few months, the shops became vacant. After this, in the year 2011, the Municipal Corporation converted this complex into a shelter home.
For two years, efforts were made to integrate beggars into the mainstream by keeping them here, but later this process stopped. After this, illegal encroachments took place here. According to the local people, as soon as the evening falls, anti-social elements start gathering on the upper floor.
On being asked about this, Additional Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Srivastava said that the complex will be found out from the rent department and its maintenance will be done.
Most beggars in Trans Gomti
According to a three-month-old survey of the Municipal Corporation, most beggars in the city are active in Trans Gomti. Data was prepared by identifying beggars through ITMS cameras installed under Smart City.
According to this, the maximum number of beggars gather at Polytechnic, Mahanagar and Munshipulia crossings. Similarly, beggars have also set up a temporary camp at Kapurthala crossing. They roam around the crossings during the day and beg and sleep on the footpath at night.
Organization claims, all bills submitted
For the upliftment of beggars, Umeed Sanstha was paid about Rs 96 lakh by the Municipal Corporation under Operation Smile. In this regard, Municipal Corporation’s Chief Finance Officer NR Kuril claimed that the organization had not presented the bills, it had only given the details on the pad.
However, the organization has rejected this claim. Pratap Vikram Singh, the project head of the organization, says that the municipal corporation officials are giving wrong information.
The organization’s team goes to the spot and provides help only when it receives a call from the administration for anyone’s rescue. There is an account of the entire amount spent under Operation Smile and all the bills were also given.
