Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is planning a sustained campaign to make Bengaluru free of begging by the end of 2027, with a major drive expected to begin in November to identify, rescue and rehabilitate people engaged in begging across the city.
The proposed initiative is expected to focus not only on removing people from streets and traffic signals but also on rehabilitation, skill development and livelihood support. The government is also planning to work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as part of the effort.
The move comes against the backdrop of a wider Central government initiative to make major cities beggar-free through coordinated rehabilitation programmes. Bengaluru is among six major metropolitan cities identified by the Union government for focused action against begging.
Major campaign planned from November
The first phase of the Karnataka government’s campaign is expected to begin in November. Officials are working on collecting more accurate information on the number of people engaged in begging in Bengaluru before expanding the operation.
The exercise is expected to involve identifying people at traffic signals, major roads, public spaces and other locations where begging is commonly reported.
Authorities are also expected to coordinate with NGOs and other organisations working with vulnerable communities. The emphasis is intended to be on providing alternatives and rehabilitation rather than simply moving people away from public places.
Recent reports said the government is considering a humanitarian approach in implementing the campaign, with arrangements for shelter, counselling and rehabilitation for those who require assistance. The programme could subsequently be expanded to other cities in Karnataka.
Government plans rehabilitation along with enforcement
A major challenge in eliminating begging is ensuring that people rescued from streets do not return to the same conditions.
The government’s proposed approach therefore includes rehabilitation and livelihood support. Depending on individual circumstances, beneficiaries could be provided counselling, skill development, healthcare and assistance in finding sustainable sources of income.
The Central government’s SMILE-Beggary scheme provides a framework for such interventions. It includes identification and mobilisation, counselling, shelter and care, skill development, financial linkages and follow-up after rehabilitation.
The scheme also recognises that people engaged in begging may have different needs. Elderly people, children and those requiring specialised care may need different forms of institutional support, family reintegration or access to other welfare programmes.
Bengaluru among six cities targeted by Centre
The Bengaluru campaign is also linked to a broader national effort.
In January 2026, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment held a review meeting on welfare and rehabilitation measures for transgender persons and people engaged in begging. The meeting specifically focused on six major metropolitan cities — Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad — with the objective of making them beggar-free.
The Centre has called for coordination between municipal corporations, urban local bodies, state departments, NGOs and other agencies.
The national campaign, known as Bhiksha Vritti Mukt Bharat, has been designed around identification, rescue, rehabilitation and social reintegration rather than relying solely on enforcement.
More than 10,000 people rehabilitated nationally
The Central government has reported progress under the SMILE-Beggary programme.
According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, more than 10,200 people had been rehabilitated under the scheme by July 2026. The government has set a broader target of rehabilitating 35,000 people by financial year 2030-31. The scheme was operational in 216 cities at the time of the July update.
A separate government update in August said that ₹45.59 crore had been released under the SMILE-Beggary scheme since its inception. As of July 31, 2026, a total of 10,446 people, including 2,824 children, had been rehabilitated.
The figures indicate the scale of the national rehabilitation programme, while the Bengaluru initiative is expected to adapt the approach to the city’s specific requirements.
Skill training and livelihood support
Under the Central framework, rehabilitation does not end with moving people into shelters.
Eligible beneficiaries can receive vocational training based on their age, aptitude, physical and mental condition and local employment opportunities. Training areas include tailoring, carpentry, cooking, gardening, sanitation services, security work, housekeeping and other livelihood activities.
Beneficiaries can also be linked with self-help groups and financial institutions to support self-employment.
Small businesses such as food or vegetable vending and other group-based enterprises are among the livelihood options supported under the scheme.
Such measures are important for Bengaluru because a long-term reduction in street begging would depend on addressing the economic and social circumstances that push vulnerable people towards begging.
Need for accurate data on beggars
One of the immediate challenges for the Bengaluru initiative is determining the actual number of people engaged in begging in the city.
Recent reports said the government is still collecting information on people who have come to Bengaluru from different parts of the country and are involved in begging.
An accurate survey is important because people seen begging in Bengaluru may include permanent residents, migrants, elderly persons without support, children, persons with disabilities and people facing homelessness or other vulnerabilities.
Identifying these categories would allow authorities to determine whether a person needs family reunification, shelter, healthcare, skill training, employment assistance or another form of support.
The Central government’s model guidelines also call for systematic identification, profiling and monitoring of people brought into rehabilitation programmes.
Humane implementation will be crucial
The proposed target of a beggar-free Bengaluru also raises the question of how the campaign will be implemented.
The Union government’s rehabilitation guidelines emphasise humane, dignified and rights-based rehabilitation. They provide for standards covering shelter infrastructure, healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, vocational training, legal aid, child and gender sensitivity and monitoring.
For Bengaluru, this means that enforcement at traffic signals and public spaces would need to be accompanied by adequate shelter capacity and rehabilitation services.
Without such support, people removed from one location could potentially return to the streets or shift to another part of the city.
Campaign may expand across Karnataka
The Bengaluru initiative is expected to serve as a starting point for a wider state-level programme.
Once the first phase is implemented and authorities gain a clearer understanding of the city’s beggary situation, similar measures could be introduced in other urban centres.
The approach would involve coordination between state departments, local authorities, police, NGOs and rehabilitation agencies.
The government is also expected to monitor the progress of people who enter rehabilitation programmes to determine whether they have secured stable livelihoods and whether family or community reintegration has been successful.
Conclusion
Karnataka’s plan to make Bengaluru beggar-free by the end of 2027 is expected to combine enforcement with rehabilitation, skill development and livelihood support. A major campaign is planned from November, with NGOs and government agencies expected to participate.
The success of the initiative will depend on accurate identification of vulnerable people, adequate shelter and rehabilitation facilities, and sustained livelihood support. With Bengaluru already part of the Centre’s national beggar-free city initiative, the proposed state campaign could become a significant test of how large cities address begging through long-term rehabilitation rather than short-term removal.