Beggars' death toll rises to 28
One more inmate of the beggars relief centre here died today, taking the toll in the government run centre to 29 in the past two weeks.
"The 70 year-old beggar who was admitted to Victoria Hospital with old age related ailments 10 days ago, breathed his last today", Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Venkateshaiah said..
"Over 40 beggars from the Centre suffering from various diseases were admitted to government hospitals, discharged and sent back to the centre after treatment", he said.
However, 14 beggars from the centre are still undergoing treatment in government hospitals and are stated to be "recovering", Venkateshaiah said.
General hygiene at the centre has improved and doctors deputed there have been attending to the inmates, he said.
The Karnataka government had divested Social Welfare Minister D Sudhakara of his portfolio and suspended a senior official following a public outcry over the deaths. It also ordered a probe and said various steps had been taken to improve conditions at the centre, the only in the city, which houses as many as 2500 beggars against its capacity of 900.
