HANGZHOU: Authorities in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, are offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of beggar gangs that employ children and handicapped people.

"Citizens who provide useful information will receive 200 yuan ($29)," said Chen Guomin, a social welfare official with the Hangzhou Civil Affairs Administration, at a press conference yesterday.

The administration began to solicit information from the public yesterday in an effort to crack down on the exploitation of children and the handicapped.