KARACHI, Oct 6: The Sindh government is working on a beggars’ rehabilitation plan, which would be finalized soon, said Sindh Chief Secretary K. B. Rind on Sunday while talking to a delegation of an organization working for the rehabilitation of beggars.

The chief secretary said the government needed the cooperation of social welfare organizations so that it could implement the rehabilitation plan at the earliest in an effective way.

He said the government was sincerely working for the uplift of the downtrodden and wanted to bring positive changes right from the grassroots level, so that the fruits of good governance could trickle down to the lowest strata of society.

Beggars were also a part of our society, and they deserved a reasonable residence and living, he said.

He added that he had personally sought proposals from journalists, intellectuals, writers and social workers on elimination of beggary and ways to provide beggars with food and shelter.

He said these proposals had been compiled in the form of a package and would play an important role in the rehabilitation of beggars. The package would soon be sent to the higher level for its final approval and other legal modalities, he added.

He said before finalizing the package, opinions of social welfare organizations and philanthropists would be welcomed.

The chief secretary said philanthropists and industrialists should come forward in the form of a trust under which beggars could be provided opportunities to earn their livelihood in a respectable way.

Mr Rind said the trust would not only ensure a reasonable earning, but would also provide shelter, education, health cover and better environment, or offer incentives to beggars to achieve these objectives.

He said the Pakistan Baitul Mal and Zakat Councils would also be contacted in this regard so that the programme could be implemented throughout the province.—APP