Making it clear it will not take an “elitist view” that no beggars be allowed on the streets, the Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre and Delhi Government to respond to a plea seeking vaccination and rehabilitation of beggars and vagabonds in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The apex court said begging is a “socio-political problem” and people are compelled to beg on the streets to eke out some elementary livelihood in the absence of education and employment.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah told the counsel appearing for the petitioner that it would not consider one part of the prayer which sought direction to the authorities to restrain beggars, vagabonds and homeless persons from begging at public places or traffic junctions.
The bench said it would issue notices to the Centre and the Delhi Government seeking their responses on the prayer made in the petition for rehabilitation, vaccination and providing food and shelters to beggars and vagabonds amid the pandemic.
“As the Supreme Court, we would not want to take an elitist view that no beggars should be there on the streets,” the bench said.