Facilitating A Dignified Life: Karnataka Govt Skilled Over 4,900 Destitutes Within Past 5 Years

Recent data released by the Karnataka State Social Welfare Department suggests that the department has been able to positively impact the lives of several beggars and homeless people around the state. The department has facilitated a dignified means of living for the needy by introducing different skills and providing many with a second chance at life.

About 4,966 people housed at the 14 governmental shelters known as Nirashrithara Parihara Kendras were provided with skill-based training. A good portion of the funds that went into training them was derived from beggar's cess paid by citizens.

Envisioning A Welfare Society

Funds for operating and training at the centres came from the beggar's cess paid by common citizens. A report by the Times Of India suggests that Karnataka citizens have paid a cumulative amount of over ₹400 crores as beggar's cess. The department had also conveyed that the cess, which falls under the Karnataka Prohibition of Beggary Act, has been effectively used for tracing and tracking family members of homeless people to provide them with necessary support.

An official statement had dissected these fund divisions and read, "Citizens under various municipal corporations and local bodies, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, have paid Rs 404.5 crore as beggar's cess between April 2017 and March 2022."

The bodies responsible for collecting this cess are permitted to keep ten per cent of it for their expenditure, and the remaining goes to the Central Relief Committee (CRC) that operates the Nirashrithara Parihara Kendras.

With these available funds, an estimated 1,149 people were trained between 2018-19, 1,274 were trained in 2019-20, and the remaining 2,543 were trained within the next three years.

Skills Imparted In The Last Five Years

The state government has been able to allocate resources to ensure that the destitute are self-sufficient and can lead a dignified life after their release from the centre. They received extensive vocational training for this purpose. Between April 2017 and March 2022, they were trained in agriculture/horticulture, readymade garments, weaving, mat-making, file-making, and other programs.

A total of 4,966 people were trained under the initiative in the past five years, including 715 women. A separate data presented by the department indicates that, 45,039 people, including 9,077 women, were enrolled at the shelters around the same period, and 43,855, including 8,985 women, were released from the facilities. Under the act, rehabilitation efforts are to be carried on for one year, which can then be extended to three years based on further orders from responsible authorities.

Apart from the cost of training, a portion of the funds also goes into creating infrastructure such as dormitories, training centres, health clinics, connecting roads, CCTV cameras, procurement of sports equipment, creation of a stage for recreational activities and so on. The officials have often noted that training the destitute comes along with many challenges, but they have been able to mark their success in rehabilitating and reuniting them.

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