The Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services V K Singh has announced that if any beggar is found in any part of Hyderabad, citizens can call the control room numbers 040-24511791 / 040-24527846 or the Anandashram, Chanchalguda, number 040-24414940 and report them, and get an award of Rs 1,000 from the Telangana Prisons Department.
This step was part of the initiatives being taken to eradicate begging in the city, Singh said.
He said that the department had taken up the responsibility of rehabilitating the beggars. The department had two facilities, both named Anand Ashram, at the Central Prison in Chanchalguda and the Central Prison in Cherlapally for the rehabilitation of male and female beggars respectively. So far, it had picked up 8,438 male beggars and 4,977 female beggars.
"Our proposals to extend the facilities of Anand Ashram elsewhere are pending with the government. Once we get the necessary approvals, we will start Anand Ashrams in all the districts of Telangana," he added.