The Delhi government is going to conduct a survey of beggars in different parts of the national capital for their counselling and rehabilitation by equipping them with skills and vocational training to help them earn livelihood in a dignified manner, officials said on Thursday.
The survey will be conducted by the social welfare department through reputed voluntary organisations in nine targeted hotspot areas, including Karol Bagh, Old Delhi, Shahdara, Nizamuddin, Munirka, near the Bangla Sahib gurdwara, R K Puram and Rohini.
The department has invited expressions of interest from the eligible, registered NGOs for the implementation of the central-sector scheme — SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise).
A sub scheme of the SMILE — “Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons Engaged in the Act of Begging†— aims at rehabilitating around 8,000 beggars in the city with an expenditure of Rs 37 crore in 2025-26.
The scheme involves identifying the beggars and their rescue to shelter homes, followed by their comprehensive resettlement.
After the survey and identification, the engaged NGOs will mobilise these people to avail the facilities of shelter homes. Orphan children found engaged in begging will be referred to child-care centres, the officials said.
Special attention will be paid to children, women, differently-abled persons, elderly and those taking drugs.
The shelter homes will provide support to the rescued persons for a period of three to six months, when they will be registered and given all legal identity-proof documents like Aadhaar and ration cards. They will also be counselled and motivated to quit begging.
Those found involved in substance abuse will he referred to de-addiction centres.
The shelter homes will facilitate for the education of children and skill training of adults so that they can sustain and have a life of dignity through self-employment, the expression of interest document said.
A period of three months would generally be required for the rehabilitation of those engaged in begging. However, longer or shorter periods of stay may be allowed, depending upon individual circumstances, the document said.
The period of stay, in no circumstances, should exceed six months, it added.
