Paisa Vasool! Beggars rule the roost at traffic signals

Hyderabad: The rise of organised begging, among transgender individuals, including minors, has become a growing menace in the city disrupting public life, particularly at traffic junctions. Although police initiated targeted operations to identify and track down all these groups, their activities persist, causing frustration and disturbance for the people.

Organised begging is a mafia in the city, which has been increasing day-by-day with around 3,500 active beggars and transgenders who are troubling the citizens at busy traffic signals. It has been observed that at these intersections, the presence of organised beggars sometimes seems like a ‘Vasooli Bhai’ which creates a chaotic atmosphere at junctions, leading to panic among people. The traffic police present at the signal also remain nowhere in controlling the situation.

At various traffic signals, the elderly on wheelchairs, people showing scars and bandages of the undergoing treatments, and transgenders unnecessarily harassing commuters while seeking alms are seen. This leads to discomfort and frustration among commuters and pedestrians alike and also disturbance by the sometimes aggressive tactics by their activities.

The junctions where these beggars are in large numbers and continue their nuisance seeking alms include the traffic signals at M J Market, Nampally, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Santosh Nagar, Malakpet, Uppal, Habsiguda, Patny, Paradise circles, Khairtabad, Assembly, and other major junctions like Panjagutta, Jubilee Hills Checkpost, Durgam Cheruvu among others.

Mohammed Habeebuddin, one of the observers said, “The mafia is also using small children, including infants and showcasing them for seeking alms. These children are usually seen unconscious, but in the scorching heat or chilling winters with huge noise pollution, how can one be asleep?” asked Habeebuddin.

During the previous government, GHMC was tasked with addressing the issue, which had initiated several rehabilitation programmes. But now, one can find several families of begging mafia seeking alms on roadsides and harassing commuters.

Shekar, a commuter at MJ Market signal said that they are occupying the police kiosks, and also the space where the civic body developed the zone in terms of beautification of junctions. Also, they are targeting people near hotels and other eateries. They are asking them for food and also at commercial areas. “They harass the people who were eating fast food on roadside, and the foodies are frustrated,” he said.

Khizar Rahman chuckled as he observed the situation at various locations such as MJ Market, Malakpet, Masab Tank, and Jubilee Hills. “It is astonishing to see how these beggars have taken over the space that was meant for beautifying the junctions. It almost feels like the beautification was designed with them in mind,” he observed.

Earlier, police carried out operations under the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and nabbed some gang members who were running the begging mafia. Last year, police nabbed a gang leader from

Karnataka. He hired people to work for him, by begging at junctions in different parts of the city and paying Rs 200 per day to each person, who usually collected nearly Rs 2,000 per day.