Tuesday, February 20, 2018

In a twist of fate, 100 Hyd beggars become lenders

Nabinder.Bommala@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: Around 100 beggars in the city have turned financiers for hawkers and small traders by lending money on interest. These beggars are lending money earned by begging at religious places.

Police and NGO sources revealed around 100 beggars in the city are lending money on interest in Pathergatti, Purana Pul, Jummerat Bazar and Madina circle. They lend money to hawkers and small businesses establishments to purchase products. The borrowers return the money with interest within 24 hours after all their goods are sold.

Beggars lend ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per day to the vendors, who return the money with an additional amount ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000. Generally, these beggars secretly lend money, mostly during early hours of the day or late at night.

While police are patrolling, one person keeps an eye on them so that other beggars who are lending money don’t get caught. Most of these beggars stay in a slum under Faluknama police station limits.

The major begging spots in the city are Dargah Yousufain Sharifain in Nampally, the stretch from Mecca Masjid to Pathergatti, Golconda Dargah, Dargah Hazrat Baba Sharfuddin popularly known as Pahadi Shareef Dargah, the temple near Kachiguda railway Station, Birla Mandir, Astha Laxmi temple near LB Nagar, Karmanght temple and other religious places, apart from major traffic junctions.

Officials of Telangana state prison department said they are identifying the beggars and rehabilitating them at Ananda Ashram of Chanchalguda central jail.

While TOI visited the ashram, one of the beggars said, “I know some influential people in the society, who help me collect and lend money.”


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