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Note ban sparks hunger pangs for beggars
Demonetisation has affected every spectrum of society, including beggars. In Adilabad, Mancherial, Asifabad and Nirmal districts, there are over 10,000 beggars living on alms donated by people visiting places of worship.
​Adilabad: Demonetisation has affected every spectrum of society, including beggars. In Adilabad, Mancherial, Asifabad and Nirmal districts, there are over 10,000 beggars living on alms donated by people visiting places of worship.
At Basara Saraswati temple, there are over 200 beggars who on an average earn Rs 150 a day. One of the beggars, Rajamma, said that their earnings dropped to a mere Rs 50 because of demonetisation.
A beggar, who lost his lower extremities, Rajaiah, said that prior to the demonetisation he used to earn at least Rs 200 to Rs 250 on Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
For want of small change, people are not coming forward to give alms to beggars, he reasoned. At Sai Baba temple in Nirmal, there are an estimated 150 beggars seeking alms.
A beggar, Venkatanarsu, recalled that those who donate hundreds of rupees and fruits to beggars on some specific days in a week are hesitating to give charity because of withdrawal of high-value notes from circulation.
Beggars at Sai Baba temple in Mancherial industrial area earn at least Rs 300 to Rs 400 a day and some of the devotees used to give them food. The demonetisation has dealt a severe blow to their revenue.
A beggar, Posamma, at Gudem Lakshminarayana temple, which is described as local Sabarimala, said that Swamy Ayyappa devotees when they take deeksha donate generously to beggars.
But the devotees are not indulging in charity for want of change, she said with a concern.
The beggars, who are not able to make their both ends meet because of the demonetisation, have been appealing to authorities to ensure distribution of food to them by temples and provide blankets to protect themselves from winter.
