The officials of Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) have said that they are planning to make Pashupati Area no-begging zone.
According to the PADT officials, there are more than 150 beggars in Pashupati area. And these beggars reside in shelters built on the premises of the temple.
Member Secretary of PADT, Pradeep Dhakal said, “Preparations are underway to rehabilitate the beggars by providing jobs to those who are physically fit and sending elderly, minors and disabled to foster homes. As soon as we manage all the beggars, we will declare the area no-begging zone.” He claimed that the office has already rehabilitated more than 50 people by giving them various jobs inside the area and in places like Nepal-India friendship Dharmasala.
Dhakal further said, “Some women are sent to organizations like Rakshya Nepal and elderly people are sent to Pashupati elderly home. We have also approached organizations like Matribhumi Sewa Ashram at Kumarigal to rehabilitate beggars of the area.’
Ramesh Upreti, executive director of PADT, said the biggest challenge in managing beggars is to make them stay at designated places. He said, “Despite our efforts, lots of beggars returned to the same place to in a bid to make money and avail free food served during various religious festivals by the devotees and donors.”
The officials also said that by just declaring the area no-begging zone would not solve the problem, they had to monitor the area regularly to stop people from begging in the area.
According to a recent study conducted by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, poverty, physical disabilities, senility and poor health conditions are some of the factors that push people into begging.
Declaring Pashupati area a no-begging zone is a big move and would definitely make Pashupati a better place than it is right now.
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Source: The Himalayan Times
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