Organisation : Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (DOSJE)
Scheme Name : Support For Marginalized Individuals For Livelihood & Enterprise (SMILE) Scheme
Applicable State/UT : All India
Website : https://smile-b.dosje.gov.in/
What is DOSJE SMILE Scheme?
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated an Umbrella Scheme/Central Sector Scheme Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) which includes subscheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging.
Related / Similar Scheme : e-Anudaan Free Coaching Scheme For SC And OBC Students (FCFSO)
The sub-scheme Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging covers several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging with focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development through an effective convergence approach for sustainable development of targeted groups.
Objective of DOSJE SMILE Scheme
Overall objective of the sub-scheme is to make the country BhikshaVrittiMukt Bharat and make a strategy for comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging through coordinated action and convergence with various stakeholders such as Central and State/UT Governments, District Administration, Urban Local Bodies/Municipal Corporations and other stakeholders working in the field and public at large so as to ensure the beggars reintegration in the mainstream society to lead a life with dignity and self confidence.
Components of DOSJE SMILE Scheme
(i) The sub-scheme covers four major components in order to provide comprehensive measures with focus extensively on prevention, rescue and rehabilitation so that persons engaged in the act of begging can be brought back to their normal life with dignity by providing skill training, assistance for suitable job/employment and support for self- employment/ entrepreneurship.
The details of the component are as follows:
i. Survey/Identification
ii. Mobilization
iii. Rescue /Shelter Home
iv. Comprehensive Resettlement
Survey/identification:
Survey and identification of persons engaged in the act of begging shall be carried out by the scheme implementing agencies – State/UT Governments, District Administration, Urban Local Bodies/Municipal Corporations and other stakeholders working in the field of begging.
A uniform survey format (as in Annexure-1) will be prescribed for collecting comprehensive and detailed information which will be subsequently be used for maintaining a national database. All the data will be maintained on the central online portal where all stakeholders (States, Districts, Nodal Agencies, Shelter Homes, etc.) would be able to enter the required information. Stakeholders shall maintain the soft copy of all the data that is being collected.
Mobilization:
After the survey, the municipal corporations or any other government agency as identified by the state/UT would undertake outreach work to mobilize the persons engaged in begging to the shelter-homes and provide them the services available in the shelter homes through the selected agencies/ organizations working in the field of begging.
Rescue/Shelter Home:
Municipal Corporation of the concerned city/town or any other government agency as identified by the state/UT to use the services of the existing shelter homes for rehabilitation of the beneficiaries. These shelter homes shall cater to 50 persons engaged in begging. Shelter for males and females should be separate. Special attention should be paid to Children, women, differently-abled, senior citizens and persons used to taking drugs. For small children (0-6 years of age), linkage with Anganwadi centers should be done wherever possible. Shelter Homes would provide basic amenities and services for the rehabilitation of beneficiaries.
Comprehensive Rehabilitation/Resettlement:
Under this component, efforts should be made to enhance the convergence linkage with existing welfare schemes of Centre/State Governments. The shelter-home will facilitate education for children engaged in the act of begging, skill development/vocational training to able-bodied persons as per their capacity, capability and desirability so that they can sustain and live a life of dignity by engaging in self-employment or wage employment.
Contact
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Room No. 306, 2nd Floor
Vigyan Bhavan Annexe
Maulana Azad Road
New Delhi – 110011
Email: venkatesan.s19 [at] nic.in
Tel: 011 23022348