Bangalore: Beggars' Death Toll Mounts to 26, CM Inspects Relief Centre
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Aug 21: Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who visited the Beggars’ Relief Centre on Saturday August 21, had to hear sordid and grim stories of beggars even as the death toll in the state government-run centre mounted to 26 with four more cases reported since last night.
The chief minister was accompanied by minor irrigation minister Govind M Karjol and newly-appointed minister in charge of social welfare department. Yeddyurappa said the government would take all steps to probe the deaths at the Beggars’ Relief Centre, besides providing a better deal to the beggars.
Yeddyurappa said deputy commissioners in all the districts have been asked to personally inspect and take adequate steps to look after the beggars housed in 13 centres located in different parts of the state to prevent recurrence of similar tragedies.
Like a new broom sweeping clean, Karjol, who has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of the social welfare department, said the government would try and contact the neighbouring states in order to send the beggars back to their native lands as out of the 2300 inmates currently housed in the relief centre as many as 1800 were from other states.
At least 825 are from Tamil Nadu, 625 from Andhra Pradesh and 125 each from Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, Karjol said and added that the government was in touch with these states to send them back. He said the warden of the Beggars Relief Centre, against whom complaints had piled up would be removed shortly.
The chief minister inquired with the inmates about their treatment at the centre. Though nobody seemed to be interested in mentioning their sorry plight, several persons were seen pleading that they should be allowed to go out rather than being confined.
Yeddyurappa said three more doctors and 10 paramedical staff would be deployed soon to provide medical aid to inmates. Steps would be taken to provide good food and three pairs of clothes to all the inmates, besides giving priority to cleanliness.
The chief minister asked the newly appointed social welfare minister to take steps to provide 32 toilets and 16 bathrooms as part of the drive to ensure cleanliness at the Beggars’ Relief Centre.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and state JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy, who called on the governor H R Bhardwaj demanded that a comprehensive probe be conducted into the functioning and deaths of beggars at the Beggars’ Relief Centre on Magadi Road.
Kumaraswamy told reporters after meeting the governor that he had requested Bhardwaj to personally visit the centre for an on-the-spot inspection.
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