MP demands law to discourage begging

NEW DELHI: A demand to frame a strict law to discourage begging was made in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Shwait Malik (BJP), through a Zero Hour mention, said begging has become a menace, with visitors also being hounded. A strict law should be framed to discourage begging, he said, adding that those indulging in begging and were healthy, should take up jobs of labourers or guards and not beg.

The physically challenged should be given government assistance, he said.

Ram Nath Thakur (JD-U) asked the Centre to give Bihar Rs 7,636 crore it had demand for flood relief and also waive farm and cattle loans.

Raising the issue of the “disastrous” move to close 7 out of the 12 Government of India Presses and all the Indian Railway printing presses, Tapan Kumar Sen (CPI-M) said the move ran contrary to the ‘Make in India’ campaign of the government as it destructs domestic manufacturing.

He said the move was termed “extremely unfair” by the parliamentary standing committee on urban development in its report tabled in Parliament last August.

The concerned ministry, he said, had told the committee that the presses were working very hard despite extreme shortage of manpower and had Rs 390 crore in outstanding dues to different ministries.

Stating that the workers were agitating against the move, he said modernisation of the presses was needed and not shutting them down.

Kumari Selja (Cong) raised the issue of increasing crimes against women in Haryana and asked the government to take it seriously.