Surabaya Administration Cracks Down on Beggars

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) - The Surabaya city government in East Java is cracking down on street beggars and homeless drifters whose number continues to increase during the holy month of Ramadhan this year. "We will hold a crackdown on beggars who have entered the Surabaya territory," Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said after attending a plenary meeting of the Surabaya City Legislative Council (DPRD) here on Friday. Most of the street beggars and homeless drifters come from different parts of East Java. Risma said the city social service office has prepared rehabilitation centers to shelter street beggars and homeless drifters nabbed in the raid. It is easier to deal with beggars in Surabaya than in other big Indonesian cities such as Jakarta and Bandung, said Risma who is the first female mayor of Surabaya. "Admittedly, the number of beggars continues to increase during the fasting month of Ramadhan. But they (the city social service office) know how to deal with them," she said. The city administration has expanded a beggar accommodating place at the social dormitory (Liponsos), said the former chief of the Surabaya City Development Planning Board (Bappeko). "We also have built another room at he social dormitory," she said. (*) Reporting by Abdul Hakim