All help assured to ailing mason

Tribune impact

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 13

Dharmesh Ramotra, SDM, Palampur, today called on ailing mason Rajesh Kumar, who is confined to bed because of permanent disability. The hapless family has no source of income.

Rajesh worked as a mason. While casting a slab on the roof of a building, he fell and suffered multiple fractures in spinal code which resulted in a permanent disability. He made all efforts to get financial assistance from the government, but in vain.

He lives in a small hut on the forestland on the outskirts of the town.

The Tribune had highlighted the plight of the Rajesh in these columns last week. Thereafter, help started pouring in from different various quarters.

Colonel RL Sharma, a resident of Palampur, has promised to pay the tuition fee of his daughter per month. While Sanjay Sharma, a social activist, visited the family and donated Rs 10,000 and promised foodgrains for one year. Parminder Bhatia of Shani Sewa Sadan provided ration and woolens to the family.

The SDM along with a team of revenue officials visited the family and assured all possible help on behalf of the state government. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has also taken a serious note after reading the news.

The SDM said the revenue authorities had been directed to identify a land to be allotted to Rajesh for the construction of a house. He also assured help of Rs 1,85,000 under the PM Sahari Awas Yojana from the Palampur Municipal Corporation.

He said he would also make efforts for early issuing of permanent disability certificate from the medical board so that the process for the release of Rs 2 lakh from the state government could be started. He said the matter of disability pension would also be taken up with the State Welfare Department.