By Tasaduq Hussain
Kupwara: The north Kashmir’s frontier district is fast turning into a begging hub as non locals have flooded the district creating nuisance for the whole population
The road sides are filled with beggars and they keep or irritating people thronging to market, locals complained, adding that since it is the month of Ramadan the number of beggars has increased.
“Commuters, customers, and people generally thronging to market have been continuously complaining that the number of beggars in Kupwara has skyrocketed surprisingly,” Kupwara main market association member told INS.
The problems have increased in the month of Ramadan as people are more generous and are more into alms giving.
Beggars have surrounded masjids, seminaries, and schools as well.
Shopkeepers at Regipora said that bridge connecting Kupwara with the areas like Trehgam-Krallora-Keran-Karnah- Tangdahr draws a huge rush of people helping the business establishments in the area.
“It has been turned into a begging zone now. It has hit our business drastically,” they complained.
Students at Women college Salkoote said that beggars usually pull scarves of girls who refuse to pay anything to beggars.
“It has turned into a nightmare to walk on roads,” said a group of girls students of the college.
Executive Officer Municipality rued that there are no government directions ‘so far regarding non local beggars’.
District labour Officer kupwara Arshid Ahmad put the onus on “higher authorities’ and claimed that action against beggars in ‘not in their domain.’
“Once they direct any department there will be action. We cannot stop beggars as of now,” Arshid said.