The Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment has started a census of urban beggars in collaboration with the Department of Social Services and the Institute of Rural Development Practice and Research.
So far, the responsibility for beggars has been assigned to the Social Services Department of the Provincial Council, but the power to enforce the relevant Ordinance has been assigned to the Social Services Department of the Central Government. Accordingly, the Department of Social Services is conducting this census with the expectation of direct intervention to solve the problems of the beggar community.
There is a risk of aggravation of health and social problems due to the increase in beggar population in every city of Sri Lanka.
It is also special that the Department of Social Services is conducting this kind of beggar census for the first time. The process of providing relief to each beggar who is subjected to concentration has been planned by giving a questionnaire and classifying the beggars based on the answers received.