Indore — already famous for its cleanliness and topped rankings in the national Swachh Survekshan — has turned its attention to another persistent urban challenge: begging. Over the past couple of years, the city’s administration has launched an ambitious programme to make Indore “beggar-free.” But as recent events show, the mission is as controversial as it is headline-grabbing — raising questions about policy goals, human dignity, and whether removing beggars from view really solves the problem.
What Is the “Beggar-Free Indore” Mission?
The campaign began in February 2024 with the stated goal of rehabilitating people engaged in begging and transitioning them to dignified livelihoods. Officials say it’s about offering alternatives — not just removing people from public spaces. Over the first year, authorities identified thousands of beggars and worked on counselling, relocation, and support services.
By mid-2025, authorities declared Indore, India’s first beggar-free city, citing the rehabilitation of around 5,000 individuals, including children enrolled in school and adults assisted toward self-sufficiency. Local NGOs estimated that before the campaign, roughly 7,000 people were begging across the city’s busiest squares, with collective earnings reportedly exceeding ₹20 crore annually — a surprising insight into the scale of the informal “alms economy.”
Legal and Social Rules: FIRs for Begging and Alms
Perhaps the most contentious aspect of the programme has been the legal crackdown around begging: Starting January 1, 2025, Indore authorities made giving money to beggars a punishable offence and began filing FIRs against those who offer cash on the streets. Begging itself, as well as buying goods sold by street beggars, has also been prohibited under local orders. The policy is part of a pilot project under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to eliminate begging in several major Indian cities.
The point of discouraging people from giving to beggars is to stop these cycles of dependency or organised begging. However, the other side of this issue claims that the criminalisation of acts of kindness without proper social support systems amounts to criminalising poverty.
The “Rich Beggar” That Shocked the City:
There was another twist, however, that shocked people in early 2026 — when this campaign found that beggar Mangilal, who begged on busy Sarafa Bazaar, actually owned three houses, three auto rickshaws, and a car, and ran a money-lending business, lending money to local businesses at interest.
The moral of the story soon became symbolic, too: while a disabled man is deemed poor, he also has considerable means. Though such instances may be few, they only add credence to assertions that street begging may not always be fueled by absolute need but by other economic benefits.
However, it also makes one think about assumptions—not all persons one sees begging on the streets may be in dire poverty. Sometimes, there are underlying reasons why they are in such a condition. For this person, the authorities are still attempting to find out how he was able to avail himself of some government housing schemes in spite of owning property.
Rehabilitation vs. Eradication:
The Indore model emphasises rehabilitation: Counselling thousands of adults to seek work. Enrolling children in schools. Relocating others to dedicated centres. Offering rewards (e.g., ₹1,000) to citizens reporting child beggars for rescue.
These measures reflect an effort to break the cycle of street dependency through social support rather than just enforcement. Yet the balance between coercion (legal penalties) and care (rehabilitation programmes) continues to be debated by activists, policymakers, and residents alike.
So — Can We Really “Clean Up” the Streets?
Indore’s initiative is bold and highly visible, and it’s sparked interest — and imitation — in other cities. But the mission provokes deeper questions:
What success looks like:
Has the number of people begging in public truly dropped? Can the programme sustain lasting change for those rehabilitated? And how is success measured — by the absence of beggars or by improvements in their lives?
What the campaign ignores:
Social safety nets, mental health support, and rural-to-urban migration drivers are broader factors that underpin begging, not just its street manifestation.
A nuanced path forward:
Addressing begging requires more than sweeping streets clean. Long-term investment in education, employment opportunities, and social protection systems matters just as much — if not more — than law enforcement.
Can We Really Make Indore Beggar-Free?
The campaign highlights a deeper issue: Law enforcement alone cannot solve it. Rehabilitation must be sustainable. Public awareness is crucial. The truly needy must be served by programs designed to increase economic inclusion. While Indore, India's cleanest city, is working to clean up the streets of litter and debris, it is now faced with the challenge of addressing the issue of visible poverty with firmness and compassion.
The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) ramped up its "Beggar-Free Indore" campaign in 2025 by placing large “Do Not Give Alms; Give to Rehabilitation Centres" signs at major intersections in the city (e.g., Rajwada, Palasia Square, and Bhawarkuan). The IMC also designed a helpline and created task forces that included police and social welfare agencies to assist with this campaign.
The Incident:
On a late afternoon at Vijay Nagar Square, an expensive-looking SUV came to a stop at a red light. An emaciated elderly man approached the SUV and gently tapped on the tinted window. The elderly man was wearing torn clothing, holding a metal bowl, and appeared to be weak. The driver gave the elderly gentleman ₹50. The driver was observed by the traffic police working with the IMC to enforce the anti-begging campaign.
The elderly gentleman was taken to the temporary shelter for verification. Officials were astonished by the elderly man's property when his cloth bag was examined. Included in the elderly man's property were the following: a cell phone valued at approximately ₹20,000, cash in the amount of ₹3,200, and numerous ATM cards.
Authorities discovered through an investigation into the man that he had been living in a rented room within a nearby colony, with savings of at least ₹4 lakh in at least two different bank accounts. Furthermore, investigators discovered that he was part of an organised group of people operating from various locations in the city at busy traffic signals during peak commuting hours, where it was believed there were 1,500-3,000 rupees per day (on average) for each member of the group to make through this type of operation.
Public Reaction:
Reactions from the Public to this incident were divided, with some wanting increased law enforcement practices on the streets, while others believed that poverty continues to be one of the prime driving forces behind those who perform this type of activity for survival. Social activists warned against assuming that all beggars are “rich” based on isolated cases.
Administration’s Stand:
The Municipal Commissioner clarified: “Our mission is not punishment but rehabilitation. However, organised begging rackets will not be tolerated.” Authorities transferred the man to a government rehabilitation centre for counselling and vocational training assessment. At the same time, police began investigating the alleged network.
Ground Reality:
During the same week, officials also rescued A disabled woman abandoned by her family. Two migrant children were forced to beg by distant relatives. These examples demonstrated to the government that there are people who take advantage of the compassion shown to them in order to make money, and that there are a large number of those who genuinely need assistance.
Indore's objective to rid its streets of beggars is one of the most discussed urban governance projects over the past few years. It depicts innovative policy enthusiasm, unexpected stories from the real world, and complex ethical challenges. Nevertheless, the true test will be whether the project benefits those who require assistance, rather than, merely taking them out of sight.
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