Puri: Elderly people who used to beg alms on Puri’s Bada Danda (Grand Road) for a living have now become self-sufficient and are working together in a shelter home to make life better.
Apart from togetherness, the old-age home Niladri Nilaya has given the once destitute men and women new identities. After losing the affections and support of their respective families for reasons not known, the elderly ones had resorted to begging alms for years.
They were earlier picked up by Puri district administration with support of Odisha Patita Uddhara Samiti and subsequently accommodated in Niladri Nilaya. They have become trained hands and produce CFL bulbs, brooms, incense sticks and decorative art materials.
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On being contacted, Puri project manager of the Niladri Nilaya Braja Kishore Samantaray said, “The town has a total of four such old-age shelter homes. Niladri Nilaya at Baliguali has 49 inmates including 31 males and 18 females. Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department in Puri provides Rs 33.00 towards total expenses per person per day, which is very difficult.”
PNN