Ahmedabad, June 26 (IANS) A coordinated initiative involving the Ahmedabad civic administration, police and the Union government has been set in motion to develop a structured rehabilitation framework aimed at making the city beggar-free under the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme.

A review meeting on the proposal was held on Friday under the chairmanship of Mona Khandhar, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s Additional Secretary.

Senior officials including Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, representatives of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, along with officers from the Social Security and Police departments, participated in the discussions.

The initiative will be implemented under the Union government’s SMILE scheme.

As part of the plan, “Beggary Homes” will be established in Ahmedabad to provide temporary shelter and structured support for individuals engaged in begging.

Each shelter home, with a capacity of around 50 persons, will receive a central grant of Rs 55 lakh.

These facilities are intended to function as rehabilitation centres offering healthcare services, skill development training, employment linkages and access to eligible welfare schemes for residents.

Officials also discussed broader coordination between the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, law enforcement and allied departments for rehabilitation measures, including family reunification for those separated from relatives, provision of care for elderly and persons with disabilities, and skill-based support for those capable of employment.

The discussions also covered measures related to temporary shelters and structured reintegration pathways under the scheme.

This week, a large-scale rehabilitation effort under Ahmedabad’s ongoing “beggar-free city” initiative has seen hundreds of people rescued and shifted to temporary care facilities and across the last two years, according to official drive data.

During a three-day citywide operation conducted recently, around 244 individuals, including adults and children, were rescued from identified locations across the city and transferred for further care and rehabilitation as part of coordinated action by civic and police authorities.

Authorities said the individuals identified through such drives are placed under shelter-based care and linked to rehabilitation processes, including access to welfare schemes, education, skill training and family reunification wherever applicable.

–IANS

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