Burj Kotian: No relief for crusher workers

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 28

Despite tall claims of relief by the authorities, the underprivileged in the region are a harried lot due to the lockdown.

Several families are stuck with no work in a settlement near Burj Kotian village, Chandimandir. A majority of them were daily wagers in a nearby stone crushers before the lockdown was announced.

Deep Chand is struggling to take care of his wife and four children. With no money in his pocket, he wants the district authorities to approach them for help — at least, two meals a day. “Nobody has come to help us out. We earned around Rs 300 a day. We have no savings left,” he said.

An elderly woman, with folded hands, said they haven’t even seen vegetables from the past several days.

“Chutney se khana kha lete hai (we just have chapati and chutney to eat). Pata nahi vo b kitne din chalege (don’t know how many days it will last),” she said.

ASI Raj Kumar, a traffic policeman deployed nearby, said: “Nobody has approach us for anything. We are ready to help them anytime.”

Ranjit Ram, a small farmer from Jallah village, said: “No one has come to his village for any kind of help. I used to work as a labourer to enhance the family income. The option is not available now.”

However, Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja couldn’t be contacted despite several attempts.