After shining up beaches and lanes of Puri, IAS officer Mr. Balwant Singh went on to look after the strays of the city. This 2007-batch officer rescued and rehabilitated numerous beggars and stray cattle of the district. It is largely because of him that the beggars are now leading a respectable life, as also earning their own livelihood.

In the second part of Indian Mastermind’s exclusive conversation with the officer, he opens up about his rehab and rescue work.

REHAB AND RESCUE FOR BEGGARS

The basic challenges faced by any religious or holy city are the roving beggars. Collaborating with the Social Security and Empowerment Department of the city, which focuses on uplifting people with disabilities, poor, transgender, beggars, and widows, Mr. Balwant and his team sent them a proposal of establishing Sri Jagannath Heritage Security Corridor, a 75 m long corridor which comes under the State Project.

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When Most Others Would Have Turned Away

The government passed various projects such as the corridor, to enhance the cultural importance of Puri, as well as constructing infrastructures such as parking, direct connectivity to temples, markets, beach development, etc. But the visible challenge that all the factors faced was of beggars. The entire Grand Trunk Road swarmed with beggars, day in and day out, in all the days of the week, all the months of the year. A big eyesore it presented itself as, to the tourists and visiting pilgrims alike.

“The beggars come from different backgrounds, so we categorized them first according to gender, then according to their disabilities – handicapped, blind, mentally retarded, etc., and furthermore, into children and old people. As per this categorization, we went forward to finalize the Non-Government Organizations and partners.” Mr. Singh told Indian Masterminds.

The government finalized one partner for rescuing the beggars and sending them into transit houses and another for medical examining of the beggars. “We have a board of six partners and a house with the capacity of accommodating 50 people called Niradri Nilay. We call them our guests, not beggars, and our partner takes care of their health, clothing, and food,” stated Mr. Singh.

Today, the beggars living in Niradri Nilay are enjoying a life of respect and even indulge in various activities such as morning yoga and evening bhakti.

FIGHTING LEPROSY

A major issue faced by these people is the problem of leprosy. Mr. Singh and his team focused on them and opened a separate Niradri Nilay for the people suffering from the disease, with medical help available at the place at all times.

Till now, they have rescued more than 600 beggars in the city and around 200 people have left their port. NGOs have taken the responsibility of mainstreaming them and sending them to their homes and ensuring that they don’t come back.

“We even give them incentives so they could start a work of their own and follow up for a year. Once, a week we go monitoring these people. It is one of the most beautiful and satisfying programs by the administration” says Mr. Singh.

STRAY CATTLE PROTECTION

Another major challenge faced in the holy city of Puri is that of stray cattle roaming on the streets. Through a research study done, Mr. Singh found that Puri was home to almost 1500-2000 stray cattle. Seeking support from the government, he collaborated with two partners through tender.

“We have shifted about 1000 stray cattle, primarily bulls, and ensured their welfare. We are making sure that they don’t meet with an accident, at the same time providing them with a good sanitation environment. This also enables us to maintain order in the city.” he told Indian Masterminds.

Mr. Balwant Singh hasn’t run out of ideas to make Puri a cleaner and more shining city. He has a few projects in the pipelines, and they are likely to take off soon.