The Advisor to the Chandigarh Administrator on Sunday appealed to the residents to restrain from giving money to the beggars as they could be potential ‘corona spreaders.’
Adviser Manoj Parida said beggars could not be jailed as begging is de-criminalized by the top court.
‘Appeal to Chandigarh residents not to give money to beggars who rush to you at traffic points. They could be corona spreaders. We can’t jail them since beggary is not a crime,’ Parida tweeted.
‘These people run away to streets from the shelter homes they are provided with, in order to make money. So, if anyone approaches, do not provide them with any money,’ he added.
Appeal to Chandigarh residents not to give money to beggars who rush to you at traffic points.They could be corona spreaders..We can’t jail them since beggary is not a crime.When put in shelter homes they run away to make money from https://t.co/xSlMuQAAXJ simply say NO.
— Manoj Parida (@manuparida1) July 26, 2020
Netizens replied to Parida’s tweet, questioning the logic behind the advice, as the residents have been handing out money at parking lots and at other official premises that are managed by the Chandigarh administration.
People called it a hypocritical approach, considering the administration itself is not equipped enough to offer online payment options.
However, many favoured the Parida’s advice, stating that the beggary has now become an organization in itself, and this could help stem the racket. Many even advised traffic police to strictly bar beggars.
In the last 24-hours, the Union Territory recorded 58 new cases and one death, with 21 recoveries. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 910, with 14 deaths. Over 500 people have recovered so far.
