In Erode, beggars turn choosers

The Beggars’ Association in Erode has appealed to the public to give them a minimum of Re 1 as alms. The appeal was made at the Beggars’ Association meeting in Bannari near Erode on Tuesday.

The meeting appealed to the government to grant “some welfare schemes” for beggars and decided to form a “Beggars’ Welfare Board”, association sources said. The meeting condemned “the employees of Bannariamman Temple who were disturbing the beggars while seeking alms from the devotees” and decided to represent their plights to Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, the sources said.

Beggars from Bannari, Thalawady, Bhavanisagar and Sathyamangalam attended the meeting, sources said.