Over 2,000 beggars to come to the city

Over 2,000 beggars to come to the city

JAKARTA (JP): The number of seasonal beggars flocking to the
capital during the Ramadhan fasting month, which will start on
Sunday, is projected to remain at about 2,000, an official of the
city social service office said on Thursday.

H. Waluyo, a subdivision head of the office, said there was an
absence of a jump in the number of beggars coming to Jakarta this
month because quite apart from it being harvest time in the
villages where they lived, they would also be hindered by the
sharply rising costs of transportation.

"The monetary crisis and weather factors could possibly make
them change their minds about whether to come to Jakarta or not.
Transportation costs have risen due to the expense of spare-
parts. Moreover it is the harvest season."

He said that the seasonal beggars, who mostly came from
Central Java, usually arrived in this time of the holy month to
work on the emotions of Jakartans -- who are 98 percent Moslems
-- for money.

"Jakarta this year is already home to 12,000 beggars. The new
arrivals would therefore bring the number of beggars to 14,000,"
Waluyo said on Thursday following a communication forum for
hospital doctors and social welfare experts at City Hall.

Waluyo said that his office would closely cooperate with
soldiers and police officers deployed to maintain security in the
city's 60 crime black spots to get rid of the beggars.

"The beggars will be, as usual, rounded up, handed over to the
police stations where they will be selected before being picked
up by social welfare people," Waluyo said.

"They will be then sent for rehabilitation in the city's
social centers." (ylt)