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Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
29-November-2010 15:48 IST

No Authentic Data on Beggars

There is no authentic data available on the prevalence and presence of beggars across the country

There is no authentic data available on the prevalence and presence of beggars across the country.

The Central Government has requested State Governments and UT Administrations to effectively implements their existing laws or enact a new law in case such law is not in existence.

As per available information, 20 States and 2 Union Territories have anti-beggary laws as shown in the table below. Shelter homes/ institutions for beggars are functioning in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Delhi.

Existing State Anti Beggary Laws

Sl.No.	States/Union Territories	Legislation in Force
	States
1.	Andhra Pradesh	The Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Beggary Act, 1977
2.	Assam	The Assam Prevention of Begging Act, 1964
3.	Bihar	The Bihar Prevention of Begging Act, 1951
4.	Chhattisgarh	Adopted the Madhya Pradesh Bikshavirty Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1973
5.	Goa	The Goa, Daman & Diu Prevention of Begging Act, 1972
6.	Gujarat	Adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959
7.	Haryana	The Haryana Prevention of Begging Act, 1971
8.	Himachal Pradesh	The Himachal Pradesh Prevention of Begging Act, 1979
9.	Jammu & Kashmir	The J&K Prevention of Begging Act, 1960
10.	Jharkhand	Adopted the Bihar Prevention of Begging Act, 1951
11.	Karnataka	The Karnataka Prevention of Begging Act, 1975
12.	Kerala	The Madras Prevention of Begging Act, 1945, the Trivancore Prevention of Begging Act, 1120 and the Cochin Vagrancy Act, 1120 are in nforce in different areas of the State.
13.	Madhya Pradesh	The Madhya Pradesh Bikshavirty Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1973
14.	Maharashtra	The Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959
15.	Punjab	The Punjab Prevention of Begging Act, 1971
16.	Sikkim	The Sikkim Prohibition of Beggary Act, 2004
17.	Tamil Nadu	The Madras Prevention of Begging Act, 1945
18.	Uttar Pradesh	The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Begging Act, 1972
19.	Uttarakhand	Adopted the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Begging Act, 1972
20.	West Bengal	The West Bengal Vagrancy Act, 1943
	Union Territories
21.	Daman & Diu	The Goa, Daman & Diu Prevention of Begging Act, 1972
22.	Delhi	Adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959

This information was given by Shri. D. Napoleon, the Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

Existing State Anti Beggary Laws

VBA/SK