11 months on, leprosy victims wait for financial help

Parveen Arora

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Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 3

Around 50 leprosy affected patients of Kusht Lachar Ashram Indra Chakarvarti Gram, Hansi Road, in the city are waiting for financial assistance for ration and electricity bill since September 2020.

Due to the shortage of funds, they are facing hardship and struggling to survive as most of them are beggars and now unable to work due to disability.

A financial assistance of Rs 1,125 was given by the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department every month to each patient for their economic and social rehabilitation through Mata Prakash Kaur Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment in Karnal, an NGO, but it was discontinued with reasons not known to the leprosy victims.

However, some of the social and religious organisations are extending support to them, which is not enough.

Mani Ram, president of Kusht Lachar Ashram, said the leprosy patients were facing hardship due to the discontinuation of the funds which were given by the Social Welfare Department for ration and electricity. “We have approached the authorities through various social and religious orgnaisations, but to no avail,” he added.

On the behalf of these patients, a social activist Davinder Sachdeva has sent a letter to the Principal Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, Haryana, trying to draw the attention of the official towards this issue. He also sent the same letter to the Director of the department, Deputy Commissioner Karnal and others, demanding to release the financial assistance which has been discontinued since September 2020.

“Being a social activist, I am involved in various activities in connection with the downtrodden members of society. I am also a regular visitor to this ashram and I came to know that the financial assistance of Rs 1,125 per member has been stopped by the department which used to disburse it through Mata Prakash Kaur centre without there being any just and valid reason. The local authorities were approached for their intervention, but no concrete action was taken,” he said, adding that these people had been deprived of their right to maintenance which was just a meagre aid to them for their survival and to keep their body and soul together.

Earlier, they were told that due to the Covid-induced lockdown, the financial assistance was stopped.

Davinder Singh, secretary of Mata Prakash Kaur Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech and hearing impairment Karnal, said they had not received financial assistance from the department since September 2020.

“I have taken up the matter through the Deputy Commissioner,” said the secretary.nt Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, said the issue came to his notice and he would apprise the higher authorities of the department in this regard.