MAIMANA (SW) – Authorities have begun rounding up beggars in Faryab with a promise of livelihood provisions to them.
Officials of the committee to collect beggars in Faryab say that based on the decree of Hebatullah Akhundzadeh, the leader of the Islamic Emirate and the decision of the local authorities of this province, a committee to collect beggars, consisting of seven institutions, including the provincial authority, the security command, the directorates of public health, martyrs and the disabled, work and social affairs, municipality and the Afghan Red Crescent Society have been established.
According to them, the process of collecting beggars started last week in Faryab, and during the first four days, 130 beggars were collected from the roads of Maimana, the capital of this province, and transferred to the designated place.
Ahmad Taher, the head of the beggar collection committee in Faryab, told Salam Watandar that after the biometrics of the beggars, those who are able to work will be provided with a job through the Department of Labor and Social Affairs and the municipality, and those who are disabled will be provided with a job in the Department of Martyrs and Disabled while the patients and drug addicts will be treated by the Department of Public Health, and those who are homeless will be paid five thousand afghanis per month by the office of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
He adds: “So far, we have collected 130 beggars from the city. There are 40 adult men, 30 children and the rest are women. There are three types of beggars. Professional beggar, organized beggar and deserving beggar. Deserving beggars are paid a monthly salary of five thousand, organized beggars are introduced to the court, and professional beggars are given favorable employment in the municipality.”
At the same time, a number of beggars who have been gathered from the city, say that they do not have a guardian and have turned to begging to find support for their children and family.
Fatema, the main resident of Balamorghab district of Badghis and one of the beggars gathered in the city, says about why she turned to begging: “I am the breadwinner of my four children, I beg out of necessity. If I don’t have to, why should I sit in front of the park with my children? There is no help, if they help, what should I do with my children here?”
Qamar Gol, a resident of Kohistan district and one of the beggars gathered, says about why she turned to begging: “I said I will find 100 afghanis, take a few pieces of bread, I will not return to the city again. If I have all this, why torture myself?”
Esmatullah, a resident of Ghormach district and one of the beggars gathered in the city, says about why he turned to begging: “My parents are dead, I live with my aunt, I have no place anymore. The government should help us, give us bread and clothes, I will go to school.”
It should be noted that last year, the Islamic Emirate started the process of gathering beggars in Kabul and a number of major cities of the country. According to the broadcast reports, thousands of beggars have been collected from Kabul city and a number of provinces by the responsible committees.
ENDS
