Rajasthan Rehabilitation of Beggars or Indigents Act, 2012
No: 36 Dated: Nov, 16 2012
THE RAJASTHAN REHABILITATION OF BEGGARS OR INDIGENTS ACT, 2612
(Act No. 36 of 2012)
[Received the assent of the Governor on the 9" day of November, 2012]
An Act
to provide for the rehabilitation of beggars or indigents and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by the Rajasthan State Legislature in the Sixty-third Year of the Republic of India, as follows:-
CHAPTER - I
Preliminary
1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Rajasthan Rehabilitation of Beggars or Indigents Act, 2012.
(2) It shall extend to whole of the State of Rajasthan.
(3) It ‘shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, from time to time appoint and in such area as may be specified in the notification and different dates may be so appointed for different areas.
2. Definitions.- (1) In this Act, unless the subject or the context otherwise requires,- ‘
(a) “begging” means,- ~
(i) coercively extorting alms in a public place or entering into any private premises for the same purpose of coercively extorting alms, whether under any pretence,
(ii) exposing or exhibiting with the object of extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease, whether of himself or any other person orofan animal,
(iii) allowing oneself to be used as an exhibit for the purposes of extorting alms:
Provided that soliciting alms shalt not amount to begging if it is in performance of any religious vow or obligation as sanctioned by custom or religion without being a nuisance or permissible under any common, natural or religious law:
Provided further that asking for help and assistance during natural calamities or any physical emergency or in cases of endemic hunger or illness of any sort shall not amount to coercive extortion of alms:
Provided also that dancing or singing for entertainment of the public or performing tricks or fortune-telling for consideration shall not amount to begging:
Provided aiso that soliciting alms by Sadhus, Sanyasis, Fagirs. living on Bhikshavriti as permitted by their religion in private premises shall not amount to begging:
(b) “Child” means a person who has not attained theage of 18 years: “
(c) "Commissioner” means the Commissioner, Rehabilitation of Beggars or Indigents or any officer appointed or designated as such by the State Government under sub-section (1) of section 24; .
(d) “District Level Committee” means. the District Level Committee constituted under section 20;
(e) “indigent” means a person lacking food, clothing, shelter etc. or not having sufficient means as determined by the State Government from time to time, to maintain himself;