Puri: The district administration Tuesday will launch the Niladri Nilaya Yojana to make Puri a beggar-free city. A total of eight Niladri Nilayas or rehabilitation centres for beggars will function in Puri district.
The Niladri Nilaya Yojana in Puri district will be launched with assistance from the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department. Apart from providing food and shelter facilities, the administration will take steps to bring the beggars to the mainstream society.
Despite the administration taking necessary steps to provide assistance for the beggars, scores of highly educated indiciduals still beg for alms on Grand Road (Badadanda), Puri. The Grand Road in Puri homes many such highly-educated and once successful people who now live lives of acute poverty.
Notably, two such individuals were rescued from Grand Road a few days ago. One more name has been added in the list. Once a highly qualified teacher, the elderly woman identified as Laxmipriya Mishra (66) sits on the Grand Road in the pilgrim city for her survival.
Sources said that Laxmipriya, a resident of Satyabadi locality of Puri district, has qualification of MSC and B.Ed. She used to teach English and Mathematics and worked as a teacher not only in Govt. Girls High School, Puri but in Gujarat, Punjab and Ethiopia in Africa.
She had earned praises and respects during her teaching career. Her fluent English, flawless recitation of Sanskrit Shlokas (quotes) and deep knowledge of mathematics and science surprised everyone.
She returned home after her husband Gopichand’s health deteriorated. But by the time she came back home, her husband had already died.
After the death of her husband, Laxmipriya’s relatives hatched a conspiracy and encroached upon her property. She lost her mental balance after her 23-year-old son was kidnapped. All attempts at searching her son met dead ends. Making things worse, she even lost her eyesight.
For the past four years, Laxmipriya has been begging in Puri to make ends meet.
PNN
