Joda: A day after Orissa Post reported the miserable and poverty-stricken life of a widow Sabitri Nayak in Champua NAC area of Keonjhar district, the district administration was jolted awake and reached out to her with financial assistance Wednesday.
Sources said following a directive from Champua sub-collector Santosh Kumar Mishra, a team of officials including BDO Kushal Chandra Nayak, executive officer of the local civic body and tehsildar Narayan Chandra Dhal and social welfare officer Rabindra Samantray and local revenue inspector visited Sabitri’s house.
They provided her Rs 20,000 from the National Social Welfare Fund, Rs 2,000 under the state-sponsored Harishchandra Yojana and Rs 5,000 from the Red Cross Fund. The administration also made provision of Rs 300 as monthly widow pension for Sabitri under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana.
“Moreover, a pucca house will be provided to Sabitri. It was decided that five of her children will be admitted to an Ashram school for pursuing education,” said the sub-collector, thanking the media for bringing the excruciating hardships of the widow to the notice of the administration.
According to reports, Sabitri, a resident of Godhuli under the newly-carved Champua NAC, had ‘pawned’ her two minor sons with a neighbour to organise the post-death rituals of her husband.
Raiba Nayak (46) suffered from a disease for five years. His family could not afford his treatment owing to financial constraints. Raiba died January 26 this year.
Sabitri had to mortgage her landed properties and even her ration card to gather whatever funds she could to finance Raiba’s treatment.
Left cash-strapped, Sabitri found it difficult to arrange a daily square meal for herself, her four sons and a daughter.
“There was nothing left with me to organise the post-death rituals of my husband. I had to mortgage my 13-year-old son Mukesh and 11-year-old son Sukesh with my neighbour for Rs 4,000,” Sabitri had said.
Her other children – Chilari (8), Akash (9) and Barsha (4) – studied at home. PNN
