NAWABSHAH, July 25: The number of professional beggars, including children, has increased in the city and in other towns of the district due to the absence of any mechanism to check the menace.
A survey conducted by Dawn revealed that the number of beggars was increasing in the city as hundreds of beggars, including children ranging between 5 to 12 years of age could be found on different roads of the city chasing people for alms.
The beggars irritate pedestrians and motorists at every busy road and market and some of them even enter into the offices.According to a rough estimate, such beggars easily collect an average of Rs150 to Rs200 after a day's ‘work’ as most of the people dole out a minimum of Rs5 to them. The more generous among them even give away Rs50 to Rs100 to them.
Beggars also haunt people at bus stands, railway station and busy markets and bazaars in groups.
Such scenes could also be noticed in Sakrand, Qazi Ahmed, Doulatpur, Daur and other towns. Sometimes these beggar children emerge on the National Highway and pretend to be the disabled and interrupt the traffic for money.
When asked why they don’t go to school, they usually reply that they were orphans and had to look after their family.
Hospitals and courts are also swarmed with beggars as visitors there can easily be motivated to give away a few rupees in return of prayers for their dear ones.
Nawabshah Medical College Hospital was one of such places where beggars could be seen roaming around even in the wards during the visiting hours.
Different groups of beggars, mostly led by a woman, visit each and every shop of their area on Thursdays, as traders with a superstitious mindset keep a considerable amount of coins for them to earn blessings for their business.
Some of them quickly dole out alms to the beggars to keep the shop clear for the customers.
Most of beggars in business centres are content with a one or two rupee alms as the amount collected after a day's begging runs into hundreds.
The aged beggars claim to be penniless and seek help for looking after their families.
Scores of beggars with some physical disability and deformity are also seen at particular places daily.