Tiruchi Corporation has planned to conduct a survey of persons engaged in begging in the city and take steps to rehabilitate them in shelter homes.The initiative is being undertaken under the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The scheme aims at identifying, survey, profile and rehabilitate individuals engaged in begging, with their consent.Officials said the identified persons would be provided with health check-up and efforts would be made to help them obtain identity documents such as Aadhaar cards and open bank accounts. They would later be accommodated in shelter homes where they would be provided with food, clothing and basic facilities. Medical care and counselling support would be extended to them.Women, children, and persons with disabilities would be given special care under the programme. Senior citizens would be accommodated in old-age homes while children under six years of age would be placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee and accommodated in rehabilitation homes. Persons requiring reformation would be referred to de-addiction centres.A city-based non-governmental organisation has been roped in to conduct the survey and facilitate rehabilitation. The Centre has sanctioned ₹14.61 lakh as the first instalment for the initiative.Officials said there are plans to establish additional shelter homes in different parts of the city.At present, the Corporation has three night shelters for homeless persons, on Bharathiar Road near the Railway Junction, East Boulevard Road, and on Madurai Road near the Main Guard Gate, each capable of accommodating around 50 people. These shelters are being used to house the rescued individuals. NGOs have been entrusted with the maintenance of the shelters, and caretakers and security guards have been appointed.Rescue drive is conducted regularly across the city by the district administration along with the Social Welfare Department, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Published - March 05, 2026 06:28 pm IST