 bill no  26 of  2014 the abolition of begging bill, 2014 byshri sharad tripathi, mp a billto provide for abolition of begging and for matters connected therewith or incidental theretobe it enacted by parliament in the sixty-fifth  year of the republic of india as follows:— 1 (1) this act may be called the abolition of begging act, 2014(2) it extends to the whole of indiashort title, extent and commencement(3) it shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notificationin the official gazette, appointdefinitions2 in this act, unless the context otherwise requires,—(a) ''appropriate government'' means in the case of a state, the government of that state and in all other cases, the central government;(b) ''beggar'' means a person who indulges in begging;(c) ''begging'' means—(i) soliciting or receiving alms in a public place including railways, bus stops, road sides or any other place where public has access;(ii) exposing or exhibiting any wound, deformity or disease of self or of any other person or of an animal for the purpose of soliciting or collecting alms;5(iii) allowing one self to be used as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting or collecting alms; but does not include—(i) soliciting or receiving money or food or gift by executing an act of art or music or dance or acrobatics or painting at any public place; and10(ii) soliciting or receiving money or food or any offering in connection with any religious practice or a custom involved in any religion; (d) ''child'' means a boy or a girl who has not attained the age of eighteen years;56 of 200015(e) ''children's home'' means a children's home established under the juvenile justice (care and protection of children) act, 2000;(f) ''prescribed'' means prescribed by rules made under this act; and (g) ''receiving centre'' means a centre established under section 53 begging by any person in any manner is hereby abolishedabolition of begging204 whoever forces or encourages any person, including a child in his care, custody or charge, for begging shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten yearspunishment for forcing or encouraging any person for begging5 (1) any person found begging shall be arrested by the police and before making every such arrest, the officer-in-charge of the concerned police station shall satisfy himself as to the bona fide of the arrested beggararrested beggars to be sent to receiving centres25(2) any person, other than a child, arrested on the ground of begging shall be sent to a receiving centre, to be established in every district by the appropriate government, wherein such person shall be provided with facilities for his rehabilitation30explanation—for the purpose of this section, facilities for rehabilitation includes medical care, sustenance and training in agricultural or industrial or other pursuits aiming at providing gainful employment to the beggars(3) any child arrested on the ground of begging shall be sent to a children's home (4) every child sent to a children's home shall be provided with food, medical care and education free of cost356 (1) the central government shall constitute a fund to be known as the beggars'welfare fund for the welfare of the beggarsconstitution of beggars' welfare fund(2) every beggar shall be provided with such financial assistance in such manner as may be prescribed, out of the fund, for self-employment40formulation of schemes, plans for beggars7 (1) the appropriate government shall, for the purpose of providing employment opportunities to beggars, formulate such schemes, work out such plans, including plans for provision of education, and create such suitable infrastructure in every district, as it considers appropriate(2) the appropriate government shall set up destitute homes in every district for providing food, shelter and protection to the old, infirm, helpless and destitute persons to ensure that they do not indulge in beggingpunishment for maiming58 (1) any person who maims himself or other persons for the purpose of soliciting or collecting alms shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years(2) where a person maims any child or woman or any person who is above the age of sixty years for the purpose of soliciting or collecting alms shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years109 notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, anoffence under this act shall be cognizable and non-bailableoffence to be cognizable and nonbailable power to make rules10 (1) the central government may, by notification in the official gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of the act1520(2) every rule made under this act by the central government shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each house of parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both the houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule(3) every rule made by the state government under this act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before the state legislature statement  of  objects  and  reasonsdespite welfare measures taken by the central and the state governments, the menace of begging continues unabated all over the country, especially in the metropolitan cities and urban areasdrives launched by the state governments and union territory administrations and anti-begging legislations enacted by various state legislatures to curb this menace have failed to achieve the desired results today the menace of begging has assumed criminal proportionsthus, a legal framework has to be created at the national level to tackle the menace of begging and also to create an environment in the society wherein a life of dignity is assured to persons indulged in begginghence this billnew delhi;sharad  tripathijune 11, 2014 financial  memorandumclause 5 of the bill provides for establishment of ''receiving centres'' by the appropriate government clause 6 provides for constitution of the beggars' welfare fund by the central government clause 7 provides for formulation of schemes and providing suitable infrastructure in every receiving centre or destitute home established in every district for the purpose of creating employment opportunities for beggars the central government would have to incur expenditure from the consolidated fund of india for the establishment of receiving centres, destitute homes and creating suitable infrastructure in such centres or homes in respect of union territories as far as the establishment of receiving centres, destitute homes and providing infrastructure in such centres and homes in the states is concerned, the state governments will incur expenditure from their respective consolidated funds the bill, if enacted, will involve expenditure from the consolidated fund of india it is likely to involve a recurring expenditure of about rupees one thousand crore per annuma non-recurring expenditure of rupees one hundred crore is also likely to be involved memorandum   regarding   delegated   legislationclause 10 of the bill empowers the central government to make rules for carrying out the purposes of the bill as the rules will relate to matters of detail only, the delegation of legislative power is of a normal character———— a billto provide for abolition of begging and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto————(shri sharad tripathi, mp)gmgipmrnd—684ls(s3)—27062014