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DARWIN, Australia July 31:  Northern Territory Council in Australia has proposed discouraging beggars by slapping them with a 130 Australian dollar fine.

Officials of the Social Services said beggars already struggle to pay their bills with their welfare checks, which they receive every two weeks. Even if they can find the money to meet the fine, it means they're going to be less well off the next two weeks and probably more likely to beg again, said official.

The Alice Springs town council agreed at a meeting on Thursday to seek public feedback on this plan to give rangers power to issue fines for begging. Many of the beggars in Alice Springs have drifted in from surrounding tiny Aboriginal townships where alcohol is banned to drink and where they live as itinerants.