Seeking alms on city streets is a lucrative occupation, as experienced beggars who knock on car windows at traffic intersections or park themselves at permanent spots can take home in excess of Rs 60,000 every month.<

“I earn around Rs 2,000 a day by begging. This amount fluctuates based on the number of people passing by,” says an elderly lady who begs in the vicinity of the district court on the busy Jail Road.

Closer scrutiny of her statement reveals that beggars in the city include both amateurs and professionals, with earnings commensurate with skills and location, colloquially known as a 'Thiya'.

Those who know the workings of the trade that functions in the city's ever-growing underbelly say that these Thiyas take years to develop and command a price that runs into several lakhs.Amateur beggars are mostly elderly castaways who are driven to alms-seeking by penury. The professionals of the trade are people who take to the streets as young kids to carry forward a family tradition and rake in the millions that the occupation offers.

“We don’t go to school. We sleep at the railway station, beg, and give whatever we earn to our parents,” says the eldest in a group of three that begs at the Bhopal railway station. Their father maintains a vigil from across the street.

Civic officials say that the trend has only grown in recent years, as cultural drivers of fear, religiosity, and kindness often overcome any efforts to move beggars, who have now taken to squatting on busy roads and streets.

“The Municipal Corporation takes action, but after a few days, things settle down, and we return to our spots and start begging again,” said an elderly man at Parihar Square near Ashoka Garden.Joint Director for Social Justice in Bhopal, RK Singh, says that a survey has been conducted to understand the burgeoning trend, and a subsequent report has been forwarded to the central government under the Smile Scheme.

The Smile Scheme provides for Bhikshu Grih residential facilities for kids who beg on the streets in urban areas. Singh informs that approvals are still awaited for the launch of the project, and work will commence soon after a nod from the center.

Singh adds that the elderly castaways can also be shifted to homes for the elderly, and training can also be organised for those who wish to return to the social mainstream. However, the initiatives find few takers due to the attraction of the big bucks that are just for the asking.