Beggars head for 'relief-rich' coasts

BANGALORE: The State Beggar Relief Committee is mighty pleased these days. It owes it to tsunami.
A majority of the city''s beggar community has left Bangalore''s streets for greener pastures. Over the fortnight, temples, mosques and churches, bus stands and railway stations, Shivajinagar and city market areas witnessed fewer beggars. Pitching tents en route tsunami-affected areas, particularly Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, they are in a bid to lap up relief materials meant for tsunami victims.It''s complete relief: they have their begging bowls full with food and water, clothes, blankets, cooking stoves etc.
Though there is no official count of how many beggars would have packed their bags to Tamil Nadu, the Beggar Relief Committee is aware of the trend. "In fact, we expected more beggars from TN and other tsunami-affected areas to inhabit the city....We are happy the numbers have reduced in the city for now," says committee superintendent Chandrappa B Madar.
With the experience it claims in dealing with the beggar community, the committee says, "Beggars are an intelligent breed but are lazy. They have been trained a lifetime to tell lies. They can survive anywhere and in any season. They are very capable in conning tsunami volunteers."