Karsing (Ganjam): Poornawasi Nayak, 55, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) based at Karsing in Buguda tehsil of Ganjam district, who was struggling for survival five years back, is now leading a dignified life.
After her husband deserted her, she had none to take care of her. What actually transformed her life was the transfer of erstwhile homestead land to single women in the village along with land titles. She got a fresh lease of life along with the liberty to use the land to uplift her life altogether.
“My husband left me when I was young. I had no option but to raise my own resources. Earning money to sustain myself had become a Herculean task which was compounded by my illiteracy. I started working as a labourer and managed to rent a hut. After struggle, I managed to earn my daily bread,” she recalled.
“Three years back, when the government consolidated available land in the village and distributed pattas to 18 single women of the village free-of-charge, it came as a boon and settled our life,” Nayak explained. She said the exclusive land right and the complimentary housing on 21 decimal land under the Indira Awas Yojana gave her the liberty to live with dignity as she and other single women from the area got a new lease of life. They did not have to pay house rent which used to be a huge burden on them. The beneficiaries recounted, they had to shell out anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 500 from their meagre wages towards house rent.
Tanu Sethi, another single woman, said the land titles given to many single women not only saved them from paying house rent but also helped them become independent as their kin or family members used to treat them as burden.
“The gesture came as a blessing for single women. The benefit cut down our monthly expenses and we managed to become economically independent. We did not depend on relatives for financial aid as nobody likes to pay charity for long,” said Sethi.
Villagers believe this gesture not only helped the helpless women in becoming independent, but it also brought them respect in the society which was predominantly patriarchal. “These women were earlier not treated well with respect. As soon as they got their own land and house, attitude of the locals started changing slowly. They are now respected as they have their own land, house and means,” said Siba Nayak, a villager from Karsing.
However, most of the beneficiaries due to their low literacy levels are earning wages around Rs 50-Rs 100 a day. They often collect forest produce and work in construction sites. The state government started giving exclusive land titles to homestead single women in the district a few years back to help them become financially independent.
PNN