Mahakalapara: Singhpada, a tribal-dominated hamlet in coastal Mahakalapara block of Kendrapara district, resembles the neglected picture of Nagada village, which was infamous for the death of 19 kids due to malnutrition last year.
A host of schemes launched by the government for tribal welfare have allegedly failed to deliver the goods in the hamlet where several kids are suffering from malnutrition, a report said.
A case in point is the family of Kanhu Singh and his wife Muguni. Emaciated kids and a humble mud house speak volume of the tribal family’s poverty.
The couple with five children has been deprived of basic facilities. The family’s situation turned more complicated about a year ago, when their house was destroyed in a fire.
“We then made a thatched shanty which is too small to accommodate our family of seven,” said Muguni.
The family is not enrolled in Aadhaar or National Food Security Act and gets no government benefits, she added.
About 10 months ago, Kanhu went to Balasore with some people in search of work, but has not retuned since then, Muguni said.
Now, she has to look after the five kids – Jaga (7), Balia (6), Subhadra (5), Kalia (3) and Kain (7-month-old) by receiving whatever fellow villagers offer her out of sympathy.
She admitted that arranging square meal a day for the kids has become too difficult for her.
The infant is suffering from malnutrition and has a frail health, Muguni said, adding no help has been provided to her and her kids.
Fellow villagers Asu Singh, Surendra Singh, Nanda Singh, Pabana Singh, Raghu Singh and Shankar Singh demanded immediate help to the family and medical help to the infant.
Child development project officer Manorama Swain said the family will be provided necessary help. PNN
