Welfare home for beggars nowhere in sight

LAHORE:  

The project of building a welfare home for beggars in Faisalabad district seems a distant dream as funds still remain to be issued, Express News reported.

Reportedly, a welfare home for beggars was approved by the government in 2015. Around Rs75 million were supposed to be spent constructing the two-storey facility on 11 kanals at Sargodha Bypass Road. However, four years later, the funds for the project have still not been issued and the project seems to be in danger of being scrapped. The home was supposed to have separate wings for males and females and other facilities such as a library, common rooms and a dispensary.

In addition to providing individuals with a roof over their heads, the welfare home was also supposed to provide vocational training, enabling them to stand on their own two feet by getting a job and getting off the streets. Further, medical assistance was also supposed to be given to those suffering from addiction and other diseases. Nurses and doctors were supposed to be hired for this purpose.

Sources from the Social Welfare Department said that the project has great significance. The aim of the project was to eliminate the menace of begging from the district, sources added. However, the government has shown carelessness and has not issued funds for the project, sources maintained.