Op Jeevan Jyot unearths beggar’s Rs 50K-cash trove

Devotees at the historic Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib were stunned when a team of district officials, under the state government’s Project Jeevan Jyot 2.0 to eradicate begging, recovered around Rs 50,000 from a beggar.

With the Shaheedi Sabha approaching, numerous beggars have flocked to Fatehgarh Sahib.

Allegations suggest that contractors hire disabled individuals from other states, drop them near the event site and gurdwaras, then collect their earnings each evening after taking a share.

Officials and volunteers deposited the recovered cash into the golak, handing the rest to kar sewa organisers. The beggar was relocated to a Ludhiana centre for the elderly and destitute. They urged the sangat to avoid giving alms directly and instead use donation boxes.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Sona Thind stated that the administration was vigilantly monitoring begging, illegal blood donation camps, intoxicant sales, and drug peddling. She assured strict action against those violating the occasion’s sanctity.