Motorists harried as beggars pester them sans precautions

Deepankar Sharda

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 23

A number of beggars functioning without any medical screening at various light points and junctions in the city is becoming a cause of concern for daily commuters amid the spike in Covid-19 cases.

A majority of the commuters believe that beggars not only touch hundreds of vehicles, but also come in contact with drivers. The beggars are also not taking any precautions regarding Covid-19.

While it’s mandatory to wear a mask at public places, beggars are apparently paying no heed to this. The violations are taking place right under the nose of the UT Administration and the Chandigarh Police.

“The UT Administration should come forward to solve the problem. On one hand, residents are being asked to take precautions and on the other hand, the authorities have failed to spot groups that are coming in contact with hundreds on a daily basis,” said Prof Gurcharan Singh Gill.

Meanwhile, senior officials of the UT Administration were unavailable for comment on the issue.

Among major affected by this problem are the junctions of Sector 45/51, Sector 35/34, Sector 17/18, Kisan Bhawan, Sector 29/30 and others.

“We have been watching these beggars working here on a daily basis and no one is really bothered. They stay on a nearby footpath and also cook their food in open. They have been more exposed to the danger of Covid-19, but no one has come forward to raise the issue,” said Preeti Vashisht, who daily commutes to Sector 35. The beggars are taking support of their toddlers, children and youngsters to carry out their activity.

“These beggars carry their toddlers to gain people’s sympathy despite the fact that children are more vulnerable. The authorities should give them a place or set up shelters for them and they should be screened in a proper manner,” said Deepti Gupta, a resident.

Notably, there has been no official data on the number of beggars in the city.

Not only beggars, but persons selling various goods at these junctions were also caught taking near to no precautions that are otherwise mandatory for all.