Can we eradicate begging?

The intellectuals for long have been intrigued by mankind's attraction to living by panhandling. Why do able bodied, working people take up begging?Agreed that it is due to the extreme poverty rampant in our country and getting a single meal a day is a dream for many countless millions and therefore they opt to play upon the religious sentiments of people looking for the fast track to heaven by giving 'daana'and accumulating 'punya' thus..

It is not easy to give up the skills of earning a livelihood.Begging is like that,even if many non-govermnet organisations and social welfare schemes aim to eradicate this profession,old habits die hard.Given the indolence of mankind,preferring sleep to pride,it is really very difficult to successfully put a stop to begging in the streets.Nothing can be said about deformed or diseased people resorting to begging for their livelihood but what about able-bodied youngsters,women and children?

Of these,the children are most to be pitied..being born and raised in poverty,they know of no other way of life..My MIL who is a retired teacher tells me about three lads found begging in the streets,brought to school by a well-meaning social welfare group,trying to break the curse through education.The boys stayed long enough to avail of the free books,uniforms and pencils and bolted.A few days later,they were found in the same state as before,having sold off all the items given by the government for their education.After a few years,what will they become..cutthroats and pickpockets,rowdies and henchmen or beggars again..to complete and continue the vicious circle into which they were born? What is to be done under such circumstances?

As a primary measure,all beggars are to be sorted on the basis of their health conditions.The diseased can be treated accordingly..placed with welfare groups or hospitals.Others can be taught vocational skills and helped with a small enterprise or funding or placement in industry,according to their individual skills.
For those resorting back to their old ways,a hefty fine can be imposed which will discourage them any further.The goverment machinery has to take up responsibility and there is no shortage of unemployed people who can be put to work on these welfare schemes.

As for the children,education is the key.If they prefer doing something with their hands rather than to study,they must be encouraged in finding out their interests and building their vocation..but,in my opinion,they must be provided with all amenities that would encourage them to study like full meals,good clothing and a friendly environment that would teach the three R's along with cleanliness,hygiene,honesty,respect and such moral values.

As for us,can we stop giving alms to the poor,thinking that by doing so,we are discouraging begging?There is an element of religious sentiment here but there is also a humanatarian aspect.Unless we implement drastic measures to successfully eradicate poverty,a beggarless street will only be a fantasy.

At present,the government,both at regional and national level,has to formulate some hard-hitting welfare schemes to eradicate poverty at grass roots..even if there are some really good schemes,they are yet to be properly implemented as the poor at large are unaware of them.
The only way to address this problem would be to form a group of persons,provide them with a training of the schemes and their implementation,fully educate them with the programs,and go to the places of the poor..all slums and fishing villages and also those places frequented by beggars and inform,educate and help the affected people avail goverment aid.As said before,the unemployed can be used for such groups..that would be of double benefit,provide work and aid the poor.These groups can be formed under the District collectorate and report to the IAS officer in charge..and have specific regions as their targets.For example,say the programs are differentiated and categorised on the basis of kind, targeting the kind of people who should be benefiting from it..like rural women,children on streets,able beggars,unemployeds,etc.Each individual of the group should take up a head and be well versed with the programs associated with it,take it upon himself to inform the right people about the schmes and help them in benefiting from it.He should understand and identify the problems arising therein and seek measures to solve the problems,prepare reports and submit his findings,ideas for further developments,the problems faced,etc to the collector.
Are there any goverment schemes as of date that do aim to do away with begging in the streets and the subsequent rehabilitation of reformed beggars?Is there anything about providing education to beggar kids?if there is,please put them as links to this post.
About more on the state of poor and welfare schemes:
http://www.indiatogether.org/poverty/urban.htm
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/5057.asp
Read this for a skimming into what is really happening to reformist policies-
http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/02mspec.htm

It is one step by one step that we have to build the edifice of our country.