Using children for begging continues unabated in Nalgonda

The women have children aged between six months to two years are sighted begging around the main centres like the Clock Tower, Ramgiri, bus-stand and NC College area in Nalgonda

Nalgonda: The number of women using little children to seek alms on the streets of Nalgonda is on the rise.

About 20 to 25 women from Kanagal and Gurrampode areas reach Nalgonda every morning and set out on their business, law enforcement authorities looking the other way. The women have children aged between six months to two years, wrapped in a thick piece of cloth on their shoulders, and are sighted roaming around the main centres like the Clock Tower, Ramgiri, bus-stand and NC College area in Nalgonda.

---

Once they manage to catch the attention of people, they try to work on the sympathy by begging for money ‘for milk to feed the child’.

Speaking to Telangana Today, the convener of People’s Action for Creative Education (PEACE) K Nimmaiah said there was need to bring a special law to rehabilitation of such children. Existing laws were not enough to tackle the issue and the authorities were failing to check the practice.

Child Welfare Committee (CWC) former member and advocate B Venkat Ratnam said that women were using children as an easy way to make money. Many of these kids were found to be in an intoxicated condition after being made to drink toddy by the women. Moreover, it was not known whether the women carrying the children were their actual mothers or not. The people should not encourage them by giving money, he added.

District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) K Ganesh said the Child Line teams had produced these women and children several times before the before CWC. After giving written assurances to stop using the children for begging, the women would slowly return to the streets and resume their business.

“We are trying our level best to check the menace as per the laws,” he said.