STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Two years after Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma announced an ambitious plan to make Guwahati beggar-free by 2025, the ground reality tells a different story. Streets across the city — from Paltan Bazar to Fancy Bazar and Sukreshwar to Lachit Nagar — continue to see men, women, and children begging for survival, a visible sign that the vision is far from realised.
The initiative, under the national SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprises) scheme launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aimed not only to remove beggars from the streets but also to offer them shelter, food, and dignity. Assam had committed to achieving this transformation in Guwahati by 2025. With six months to go, officials now quietly admit that the target is unlikely to be met.
An official from the Social Welfare Department — the nodal agency responsible for implementing the initiative — admitted that a lack of infrastructure has crippled their efforts.
“Our shelters are full. Many are understaffed, and some don’t even have basic medical facilities,” the official said. “We are planning new centres, but the process is slow. Land approvals and budget sanctions take time.”
Earlier, regular rescue drives were being conducted to bring people off the streets and into shelter homes. Now, those efforts appear to have lost momentum.
“Earlier, there were frequent drives,” said a resident near Panbazar. “Now we barely see any activity.”
When approached, an official from the Kamrup Metro District Administration said rescue operations would resume “soon — likely in the next few days”. But a senior officer from the department offered a more candid admission: “They happen sometimes.”
Even those who were rescued and housed in shelters often returned to the streets. The reasons are rooted in poor shelter conditions and a lack of follow-up care.
“The shelter was so crowded, we couldn’t sleep. There were fights at night. I’d rather be here. At least I know what to expect,” said a man sitting near the Sukreshwar Mandir.
A boy, no older than 10, sitting outside the railway station, said, “People give me food here. No one has taken me to a shelter. I don’t want to go unless I know it will be better.”
These voices reflect the underlying truth: removing people from the streets requires more than physical relocation — it demands trust, dignity, and sustainable support.
Among the most affected are street children — vulnerable to abuse, addiction, and neglect. According to a street vendor near Cotton University, addiction to substances like dendrite glue is becoming alarmingly common among children as young as 8 or 9.
“They come asking for money, but they always carry a glue bottle in their pockets,” the vendor said. “There’s no regular de-addiction facility for them in the city.”
Experts warn that unless immediate action is taken, a generation of vulnerable children could be lost to substance abuse and crime.
What started as a bold mission for a more dignified urban life now stands at a crossroads. The making Guwahati beggar-free by 2025 remains distant — hampered by infrastructure shortages, weak inter-departmental coordination, and a lack of sustained rehabilitation measures.
While the intent behind the initiative remains commendable, the city’s streets continue to narrate a different story — one of forgotten promises and temporary relief — and people are still waiting for a better life.
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