No income source, bedridden mason awaits govt help

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 7

Bedridden Rajesh Kumar has been fighting for his survival for the past six months but none has come to his help.

Rajesh worked as a mason. While casting a slab on the roof of a building, he fell and suffered paralysis. He made all efforts to get financial assistance from the government, but in vain.

A Tribune team visited bedridden Rajesh, who along with his wife and daughter lives in a small shed on the forestland on the outskirts of the town. The hapless family has no source of income.

Kamlesh Kumari, wife of Rajesh, says that after the accident, Rajesh is confined to bed and it has been difficult for the family to make ends meet. She adds that since Rajesh is in a critical condition, he cannot be left alone, and hence even she is unable to work. However, some locals are helping the family though no government aid has been provided so far.

Disability certificate

If Rajesh gets a permanent disability certificate from the District Medical Board, he will be eligible for a one-time financial aid of Rs2 lakh, along with disability pension. —Dharmesh Ramotra, SD

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that Rajesh was neither on the BPL list nor was he an IRDP Antodaya beneficiary. However, Ghuggar panchayat considered his name for the allotment of a house under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana but could not because Rajesh was landless. Rajesh and his wife were grateful to the Forest Department, which had allowed them to raise a roof on the land.

A local NGO, the United Youth of Modern India, has helped provided him medical and financial aid.

When the matter was brought to the notice of SDM Dharmesh Ramotra, he assured the family of all help. He said that if Rajesh gets a permanent disability certificate from the District Medical Board, he would be eligible for one-time financial aid of Rs 2 lakh, along with disability pension.

Dr Nishant Mehata, president of the NGO, said he would take Rajesh to Dharamsala next week in an ambulance and present him before the medical board so that necessary formalities could be completed, paving the way for Rs 2 lakh financial aid.