Redhakhole: A destitute woman living inside a school latrine died Wednesday in Balikiari village under this sub-division in Sambalpur district after she failed to get help from government welfare schemes, a report said Thursday.
The deceased, Surumuhin Bagh, (55), was the widow of Sagar Bagh of the village under Naktideula block. She was living in the toilet of a local primary school after an Indira Awas house allotted to her husband was snatched by a co-villager.
Villagers raised doubts about her death as she was quite well Tuesday but was found dead Wednesday. Her body was found lying near a compost pit. Some villagers took her body and buried it.
Her husband was landless and when alive he did odd jobs and worked as a domestic help at a villager’s house. He had received a house under the Indira Awas Yojana and stayed in it. However, due to some reason the family left home to earn their living in another village.
After the death of her husband, Surumuhin returned home but was stunned to find her house in the possession of another man. She tried to take possession of her house but was driven outside.
Left with no option, she took shelter in a room of the village club. However, she could not stay there for long and she finally started staying in the village primary school’s toilet. She managed her livelihood by begging and had to go without food when she got nothing.
Even though she was poor, her name never figured in any of the government welfare schemes like National Family Welfare Benefit Scheme, widow pension, old age pension, ration cards, Antyodaya or Annapurna schemes. What is more surprising is that the administration had no knowledge about her.
Naktideula BDO Sahadev Nanda said he has asked the Panimura panchayat executive officer to conduct a probe after learning about the woman’s death and that he will personally visit the village Thursday and conduct a probe.
Nanda denied that she was excluded from government welfare schemes as she used to get rice with the ration card held in her husband’s name. However, the actual reason behind her death could be ascertained only after completion of the probe, he added.
PNN