Sonepur: A distraught couple with three minor daughters and four sons lived a life of despair in the tribal-dominated and mountainous village of Arjuntaila under Birmaharajpur block as they await a house under any government scheme to replace their thatched hut.
The couple-Lalu Munda and his wife Lalmuni- are worried about the safety and welfare of their children who are aged between 10 and 15.
The couple said ‘We have no house, no land and no hope at this stage,”. The house is a makeshift arrangement with torn polythene supported by bamboos.
Fear of wild animals and snakes haunts the couple who remain awake throughout nights to protect their children. Adding to their misery, life turns pathetic during rainy seasons, they said with tears in their eyes.
The illiterate couple work as daily labourers and struggle to make both ends meet. Every effort of the government has been a curse for us. We have been deprived of all benefits under the government, the couple said. No one pays heed to us, they added. Locals sympatised with the family and demanded compensation for them.
Lalu (45) works as a daily labourer while Lalmuni extends a helping hand. She takes the village cattle for grazing. The minors also being deprived of education help their parents. They earn `500 annually for grazing a cow and are now taking care of 16 cows, sources said.
Lalu’s elder daughter, who was earlier abducted, was recently rescued from Delhi. Police rescued the girl and dumped her back in her village. She did not avail of government assistance.
Accordingly, families without land are entitled to receive four decimals of land under the government scheme which the family is yet to be benefitted with. Similarly, the government has launched many schemes to encourage education among rural children. However, Lalu’s six children are deprived of education and are alien to books, pens and pencils supplied by the government.
The helpless family pleaded for a house under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’ for the safety and security of their children. Meanwhile, district collector Dashrathi Satapathy said he is unaware of the family. He, however, promised a probe and immediate assistance to the family. PNN