Bangalore : Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has said that the state government aims at making the state free from beggars within the next five years.
He was speaking at a function after visiting the Beggars Rehabilitation Centre at Kottigepalya at Magadi in the capital on May 21, Monday. He said the baggers census would be complete this month end and added information received reveal that there were as many as 7600 beggars in the state capital alone.
The chief minister said the government was committed in bringing the begging population to the main stream society. “At present there are 14 beggars rehabilitation centres in the state,he informed and added four more centres would be opened by the year end.
He also revealed the government plans to make the rehabilitation centre in Bangalore, a model centre in the entire nation. A total of 25 inmates of the centre in Bangalore have secured jobs in a private company and the appointment letters were handed over by the chief minister on the occasion.
On this occasion, six publicity vehicles to create awareness against begging, were flagged off.
Narayana Swami, Minister for Social Welfare and Prisons and others were present on the occasion.