Binika: Three months after Binika block development officer (BDO) promised rehabilitation of a mentally challenged Chhattisgarh woman living under a banyan tree here, no concrete action has been taken by the administration.
The woman continues to spend her days and nights under a banyan tree and can be seen sitting by the side of Bhandar-Papi road here most of the times.
While she doesn’t talk to anyone, given a piece of paper she mentions her details as Puni Patel from Gohadidipar village in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district.
The Sambalpur edition of Odia daily ‘Dharitri’ had carried a news item on her March 13 following which the then BDO Biswaranjan Mallick and Bhandar panchayat sarpanch Laxman Sahu had promised to rehabilitate the woman.
Three months later, Puni is still spending her days under that banyan tree irrespective of weather.
While no one here has any information pertaining to her family and relatives, the local administration is doing little to rehabilitate or unite her with her family members, villagers of Papi alleged.
Even though the law mandates the administrative officials to take care of those deserted by family and rehabilitate the mentally unsound, the local administration here appear to be asleep on wheels while the woman continues to live under the banyan tree.
That said, locals from Papi village urged the administration to rehabilitate her as soon as possible.
PNN
