SMILE scheme

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a scheme “SMILE - Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”.
• It also includes subscheme - ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.
• Focus of the scheme is on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, basic documentation, education, skill development, economic linkages etc.

SMILE:

• Two Central Sector Schemes namely Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the Act of begging and Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons have been merged in a single scheme named SMILE.
• The scheme would be implemented with the support of State/UT Governments/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), institutions, and others.

Features:

• The scheme provides for the use of the existing shelter homes available with the State/UT Governments and Urban local bodies for rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of Begging.
• In case of the non-availability of existing shelter homes, new dedicated shelter homes are to be set up by the implementing agencies.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has also initiated pilot projects on Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons engaged in the act of Begging in ten cities namely Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna and Ahmadabad. These pilots are being implemented in these cities by State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies and Voluntary Organizations.
• Several comprehensive measures including survey and identification, mobilization, basic hygiene and medical facilities, providing basic documentation, etc for persons engaged in begging are undertaken under these pilots.
• It is estimated that an approximate 60,000 poorest persons would be benefited under this scheme for leading a life of dignity.

Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Beggars:

• It will be a comprehensive scheme for persons engaged in the act of begging.
• The scheme has been implemented in the selected cities on pilot basis having large concentrations of the Beggar community.
• The scheme will be implemented in the selected cities having large concentrations of Beggar community during the financial year 2020-2021.