MUZAFFARGARH, Sept 24: Ramazan, the holy month of blessings, has brought an influx of several dozens of beggars manning every nook and cranny of the city to make the most of the month while no government department is ready to police them, Dawn has learnt.

Most of the beggars are children and women, and a few old people. These ‘persistent and aggressive’ alms collectors start their business early in the morning and continue till late hours.

“I encounter over a dozen hoboes at the bus stand, outside schools, in courts and on streets,” said Sajid Husain, a resident of Mithuwala.

“Other than those, every day 10 to 20 beggars ring the doorbell of my house.” He said these unwelcome visitors kept disturbing him with ringing the doorbell giving him no room to take rest. He said most of the beggars came up with demands like Rs100 or even more and new dresses. He said that one woman beggar had demanded balance for her mobile phone.

Acting District Nazim Malik Allah Dad Khar said he had purposed a child protection bureau and a beggars’ rehabilitation centre and was ready to allocate funds for the purpose.

Multan Child Protection Bureau Officer Ali Raza said a proposal regarding the setting up of a Child Welfare and Protection Bureau had been sent to the director general of the bureau for his approval. He said the bureau could only work in Multan and other cities did not fall in its jurisdiction. He said Ramazan was prime time for beggars and they were out in all cities. He said his department had rooted out child begging from the Multan city.

In Multan, the bureau has caught and rehabilitated 1,373 child beggars since 2007. Of them, 84 children are living permanently in the centre and getting education besides learning embroidery and tailoring. Mr Raza said these children were victim of broken homes and poverty.