Mangaluru’s 3 decades old Beggars’ Rehabilitation Centre has plenty of life transformation stories to tell

Chetana Nayak K
March 15, 2019

A host of home-grown vegetables welcome the visitors at Beggars’ Rehabilitation Centre (BRC) at Pachanady in Vamanjoor on the outskirts of the coastal city of Mangaluru. Once barren land with laterite rocks, today the 2-acre land boasts of its lush-green vegetation across its one-acre landscape. Brinjal, Coriander, Drumstick, Green chilli, Pumpkin, Spinach, Mint leaves, Jackfruit, Mango; are among the several vegetables that the inmates have raised with their labour.

"Although, it was initially a challenge to motivate them, now most of them, either through self motivation or inspired by others have taken to cultivation on their own. They tend to the crops as their own and use it for self-consumption," Ashok, in-charge of BRC said.

Besides vegetation, the Centre ensures that inmates do not spend their time idling. Beyond the normal rest or sleeping hours, the inmates are involved in pre-seeding work, tilling the soil, watering the soil beds, preparing organic manure, timely harvesting and gardening.

While some of the woman inmates engage in agriculture, they also involve in envelope making, crafts, early morning walks, exercise or at least their routine chores such as washing their own clothes.

Well educated, hailing from an affluent family, with two brothers employed in reputed banks, Anupama* (28) had everything she had asked for. But in an unfortunate turn of events, the sudden demise of her parents few years ago, Anupama found herself roaming around the streets of Pandeshwar in Mangaluru.

Beyond recognition, begging for food with pedestrians, she would sleep on the streets and roam about aimlessly. Reported by the local residents in 2014, Anupama’s plight caught attention of the jurisdictional Pandeshwar police, who shifted her to BRC.

In a span of one year, Anupama, who formerly found solace in anonymity and in begging alms, today has become a tailor. She came out of the BRC and eked out her living through tailoring. Anupama also slapped legal cases against her brothers who had allegedly cheated her of property. “She currently owns a property in Karkala, with bank deposits bequeathed in her name by her mother,” her case officer adds.

Another, Ramesh*, an electronics and electrical engineer from Chennai addicted to drinking and drug abuse had abandoned his family. He was brought to BRC that kicked-out his alcohol habit. Now working in an MNC, Ramesh is back on top of his game and works for a multinational company in Chennai.

BRC that began in 1991 under Karnataka Social Welfare Department today has grown to be one of the most trusted of the 14 Centre’s in the state.

Upon the identification of an individual as a destitute or a beggar, Mangaluru City Commissioner (MCC), Taluk court, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Taluk Panchayat, District level officer(s), and jurisdictional Police Sub-Inspector are empowered to detain and surrender destitute/beggars at the Centre.

In-charge of BRC, Ashok says that the Centre’s team and staff guard travel around their respective districts and identify the beggars and bring them to the court within 24 hours. As per the current provisions, they can house a beggar for one-year. During which, through a series of vocational and counseling sessions, it can encourage a destitute to quit begging and live independently. “Once the Centre is reassured of their skills, the Centre informs their family members and requests to take them back. In the absence of the family, the member is referred to a government aided Centre.” Ashok said.

Over the year, BRC has aggregated destitute from different parts of the country in its Mangaluru Centre. "Since, Mangalore Central Railway Station is the last station in the region, majority of them de-board the train here and venture into the city. Most of our inmates are from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh," a BRC official says.

A team of psychiatrists, doctors, skin specialists, who visit once in 15-days, have the mandate to ensure that the inmates are hale and healthy. Over the years, for about 137 destitute in Dakshina Kannada, BRC has become a haven for transformation; Owing to alcohol, substance abuse, financial stress and family issues, these inmates who had once resorted to begging today claim of confidence to thrive with their abilities.

Comments

Ann Pinto
 - 
Thursday, 9 May 2019

Thanks to coastal digest for publishing such articles and showing the positive change brought about by BRC so that these people can live a dignified life with the skills they they are taught..

SD
 - 
Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019

Wow! Impressed May God bless all involved in making the beggers life easy.The general principle of alleviating poverty by facilitating self-sufficiency has a long history

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News Network
January 17,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 17: Karnataka Health Minister and BJP leader B Sriramulu on Friday claimed that Congress supports Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) to disturb peace in the state.

His statement came after the arrest of 6 SDPI supporters in connection with an attack on a BJP-RSS follower during a pro-CAA rally held in December last year.

"The Congress party 100 per cent supports SDPI and PFI. Whenever they do not get the power, they try to disturb the peace with the support of SDPI and PFI. I will propose in Karnataka Assembly session to ban these organisations in Karnataka. We will discuss this matter," Sriramulu told ANI.

"We had already demanded for the ban on these organisations in Karnataka when I was an MP. Shobha Karandlaje, Yediyurappa and I had met Rajnath Singh, the then Home Minister in Delhi and we had given a memorandum to ban SDPI and PFI," he added.

A case has been registered against arrested SDPI supporters under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Bengaluru Police is constituting a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to handle this case.

"There were 6 people belonging to SDPI, who were here to carry out attacks on leaders supporting CAA. These people were being paid Rs 10,000 from their handlers to create ruckus here. Now this will be handled by the Anti-Terror unit," said Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru Commissioner of Police.

Earlier today, Karnataka Minister Jagadish Shettar called for a ban on SDPI.

"SDPI always denies their involvement but it has been proved now. I welcome the police's action. Their organisation should be banned as they have always been involved in anti-social activities and government of India should take very serious note of this," Shettar told ANI here.

Comments

sam
 - 
Sunday, 19 Jan 2020

and RSS/bajrang dall creating peace??

Abdul Gaffar Bolar
 - 
Saturday, 18 Jan 2020

What about Ballari Reddy? You reddys from Andra Pradesh making trouble in Karnataka.

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News Network
February 4,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 4: The possibility of defeated MLA CP Yogeshwar being inducted into chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet is causing ripples within the ruling BJP, with many legislators, especially from Kalyana-Karnataka region, raising a banner of revolt.

Several MLAs led by Surapur legislator Narasimha Nayak, also known as Raju Gouda, held a meeting at the Legislators Home on Monday and voiced their opposition.

"When there are more than two dozen MLAs aspiring for a cabinet berth, making a former MLA a minister is beyond logic," Gouda said. "We will convey our feelings to Yediyurappa and state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel." Murugesh Nirani, Paranna Munavalli, Rajkumar Patil, Dattatreya Patil Revoor, Basavaraj Mattimud are among others who attended the meeting. MP Renukacharya, political secretary to the CM and Honnali MLA, was also present at the meeting. "Some more MLAs will join us when we meet again tomorrow," Gouda said.

The MLAs highlighted the issue of caste and regional imbalance in the council of ministers to further their cause. With four from Bengaluru and three from Belagavi district set to take oath on February 6, the share of MLAs from these districts in the cabinet will rise to seven and five respectively. Currently, 16 districts have no representation.

Sources say Yediyurappa and BJP’s national leadership decided to reward Yogeshwar with a cabinet berth for his "active" role in getting 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs to resign and join the BJP, enabling the party to grab power. The party also believes he has the potential to become the Vokkaliga face of the BJP in the Old Mysuru region, where the party’s organisation is weak.

If Yogeshwar is inducted, he will be the second former MLA to make it to Yediyurappa cabinet after deputy CM Laxman Savadi, who lost the 2018 assembly polls. Several party MLAs were unhappy with Savadi’s elevation and are now upping the ante against the party leadership.

"Let Yogeshwar be made Rajya Sabha or council member. We have no problem. But making him minister is not acceptable. If they want to make defeated MLAs ministers, then why not AH Vishwanath and MTB Nagaraj, whose sacrifices brought BJP to power?" said Gouda.

Reports say Yediyurappa has promised Vishwanath and Nagaraj, the disqualified MLAs who lost the bypolls, that they would be made ministers in June. Both met Yediyurappa and secured this assurance. The two were demanding that they be inducted into the cabinet on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Vijayapura MLA Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal urged the CM to evaluate the performance of existing ministers and drop those found non-performing. "Many ministers don’t even come to the Vidhana Soudha. What is the use of having such ministers?" he asked.

Yediyurappa also continued to face pressure to induct Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatalli into the cabinet. The Jarkiholi brothers, Ramesh and Balachandra met Yediyurappa separately on Monday with a request to make Kumatalli, their confidant, a minister.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 13,2020

Mangaluru, July 13: A week-long lockdown will be imposed in Dakshina Kannada from the night of July 15, according to district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary.

The decision was taken in a meeting of elected representatives in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh. The DC is expected to issue guidelines for the lockdown soon. 

In a video message, Poojary said that during the video conference, chief minister B S Yediyurappa asked the administrations and elected representatives of the respective district to take a call on re-imposing lockdown to check the mounting coronavirus cases. 

“We have decided to impose a week-long lockdown from the night of July 15. Hence, people should buy all necessary things for a week before the beginning of lockdown,” he Mr Poojary. 

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