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The average monthly income in India reportedly is Rs 32000 in 2024. This implies that half of the Indian population earns less than Rs 32000 every month while the other half earns more than the average income. As per a report by Business Standard, the monthly average income of a salaried person in Urban India in 2023 was Rs 21,647. However, did you know what could be the monthly income of a beggar in an Indian Smart City? What if it is Rs 2 lakh a month? Sounds shocking, isn't it?
Generally, we come across beggars seeing alms at temples, traffic junctions or any other crowded places. However, it is certainly shocking to know that the annual income of beggars in Hyderabad on an average estimated Rs 18 to 24 lakh. A few families are into this full-time profession and are said to have full control over traffic junctions
in the tri-commissionerates – Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda.
This shocking report surfaced in 2023 after police spoke to a few beggars. Following a crackdown on the 'beggar mafia' in Hyderabad, police rounded up some beggar families.
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An official of the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force revealed that the entire family including husband, wife, four to five children and the elderly, take over the junctions. They don't allow others to seek alms there. These beggar families target remunerative junctions like Paradise, Jubilee Hills Checkpost, KBR Park, Masab Tank, Abid Road, Tank Bund, Koti Women’s College, Chandrayangutta and Mehdipatnam.
They (beggars) divide the junctions among themselves and the elders intervene when a dispute arises. After discussions, they arrive at an amicable solution and alott time slots or junctions among the groups.
The official also informed that they arrived at the junctions in the morning at around 10 am and sought alms till evening. They travel in auto-rickshaws. While returning, they carry liquor or toddy and biryani parcels after pocketing a fancy sum. Moreover, many of them are into money lending business.
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Furthermore, allured by the income of these beggars, some unscrupulous persons started operating mafia and employed physically challenged, weak and old people, children and women.
At the end of the day, they paid Rs 200 to each of their 'recruits' apart from providing food and accommodation.
As per earlier reports, Jubilee Hills police caught a man identified as Ajit Pawar (28). He owned eight vehicles which were seized and a couple of houses in Karnataka. He had employed 23 persons including children. Police learnt that he invested in the chit fund business with the income from the beggars of his begging mafia gang he operates.
