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Bhubaneswar: A total of 6,390 beggars have been identified in Odisha with Cuttack topping the list among all the districts, the State government informed today.
Replying to the question of MLA Prashant Behera in the Assembly today, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister, Ashok Chandra Panda informed that as many as 1,060 beggars have been identified in Cuttack which is the highest in the State. Bolangir stood second in the list with 708 beggars while Mayurbhanj is third with as many as 485 beggars.
The district of Khurda which includes the State capital city Bhubaneswar has only 53 identified beggars while the pilgrim town of Puri has 120 beggars.
As per the list issued by the government, Deogarh has only 16 beggars, the lowest in the State.
It may be noted that Odisha government has implemented a special scheme christened ‘Sahaya’ to identify the destitute, counsel and provide them incentives for their economic upliftment and better livelihood.
The 2011 Census report had put the number of beggars in Odisha at 6550 beggars (3850 male and 2700 female), the second highest in the country after West Bengal's 13,728.
