India, June 4 -- In a staggering case of delayed justice, Maharashtra's state government has finally increased the wages paid to beggars in state-run rehabilitation homes - from a shocking Rs.5 per month to Rs.40 per day. This is the first revision in 61 years, highlighting the long-standing neglect of the destitute in the state's institutional care system.

The paltry Rs.5 monthly wage, fixed back in 1964 under the Mumbai Prohibition of Begging Act, 1959, remained unchanged for decades. According to the law, physically fit beggars housed in these homes are required to work eight hours a day as part of their rehabilitation process. However, the outdated compensation had made the entire initiative appear more punitive than reformative.

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