Hyderabad: It’s often believed that begging is a profitable profession, and though this is nonsense in most cases, in the case of Bijli Pentamma it was true.
Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) found an old woman begging at Moosarambagh near Malakpet last Friday and moved her to the rehabilitation centre Anand Ashram which is being run in the Cherlapally prison premises.
When the ashram authorities carried out a routine check of Ms Bijli Pentamma’s belongings, they found a sum of Rs 2,34,320 in her bag. She was also wearing silver bangles and a chain.
According to sources, back in 2011, Ms Pentamma sold her property at Amberpet in Hyderabad for Rs 2 lakh. She gave Rs 1 lakh to her children and grandchildren and kept the rest for herself.
A widow, she took to begging after selling the property and has been saving what she got, adding Rs 1,34,320 to the nest egg she already had.
According to Cherlapally jail superintendent M.R. Bhaskar, who is associated with Anand Ashram that is run in the prison premises, Ms Pentamma had two sons. Her younger son died a few years ago and the elder son and daughter-in-law were not keen to take care of her.
Ms Pentamma mentioned to the ashram authorities that she couldn't sleep at night because of the money she carried with her.
The officials at the ashram have helped her to open a bank account where she has deposited her savings.
