Div Com Kashmir Says Will Look Into Issue
Srinagar- On a chilly Monday morning, the students of Kashmir University were surprised to see beggars entering their classrooms as non-local beggars have flooded Kashmir with the onset of the holy month of Ramazan.
“I was surprised to see beggars entering our classroom. At first a non-local beggar entered, he was followed by a local beggar. Students did not shy away from helping them wholeheartedly, but how far is this genuine to allow them to enter the University premises” questioned a student from the Persian Department.
Pertinently, with the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan, beggars start to swarm Kashmir especially Srinagar city. The beggars including non-locals could be seen at every major nook and corner of the city, seeking alms.
Dozens of beggars can be seen outside prominent Shrines of the city including Dastgeer Sahab and Hazratbal Shrine.
City dwellers say the begging menace has increased manifold in the holy month with authorities miserably failing to curb the menace.
Speaking to Kashmir Observer, Div Com Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said feigned ignorance vis-à-vis the issues, saying he will look into the matter.
“As of now, I don’t have any data. I will look into the matter” Bidhuri said.
“I keep travelling across the city and observed that begging menace has increased since the holy month of Ramazan began.” A banker, Syed Mutahir said.
“Beggars have occupied major city junctions including TRC, Dalgate, Batamaloo, Qamarwari and other areas. Their number has increased manifold” Mutahar added.
Pertinently, the government in 2018 imposed a ban on begging, invoking the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Beggary Act, 1960.
