Una NGO puts roof over homeless couple
Rajesh Sharma
Una, July 28
The Guru Ka Langar Sewa Samiti Trust, which has been involved in social service activities in Una district for the last five years, handed over a two-room house to a homeless couple, Ram Swarup and Rachna Devi, in Deoli village of the Gagret subdivision.
Ram Swarup (58) and Rachna used to live in their ancestral dilapidated house, which was damaged last year during rains. The couple was living under a corrugated tin roof, with just tent fabric serving as walls. Lacking any source of income, they could barely manage two square meals a day. Ram Swarup said seven months ago, his wife became sick and since he could not bear her medical expenses, he had to send her to his sister’s house for treatment.
The couple’s plight came to the notice of local social activists, who informed the Guru Ka Langar Sewa Samiti Trust, which functions from the Mahadev Temple in Ajnoli village near Una city. Ashwani Jaitak, the president of the trust, said their team went to Deoli and interacted with Ram Swarup, adding that a decision was made on the spot to get a house constructed for them.
Jaitak said the construction work was initiated three months ago on the small patch of land owned by Ram Swarup. He said around Rs 5 lakh was been spent on the structure which includes two rooms, a verandah, kitchen and toilet. They also provided the couple with some provisions, clothing and bedding.
The couple was visibly moved when they were led into the house by the social activists. With tears in their eyes, they said they had not even dreamt of seeing a “pucca” roof over their heads.
Vice-president of the trust, Dinesh Gupta, said this was the second house they constructed for homeless couples in the district, adding that the first one was handed over two months ago in Pandoga village, while two more are under construction in Pandoga and Jakhera villages. He added that the organisation was registered as a trust in 2019 under the aegis of Mahant Mangalanand Maharaj, the seer at the Mahadev Temple in Ajnoli village.
Trust Secretary Rajiv Bhanot said the Guru Ka Langar Sewa Samiti provides food free of cost to patients and their attendants at the district hospital every day. He said during the Covid pandemic, the organisation prepared and distributed about 3 lakh packets of free cooked food to the needy and frontline workers. He added that seeing their dedication and service, many people and organisations are chipping in to contribute in terms of cash or kind.
The trust president said with the blessings of ‘Mahadev’, the trust was also providing help to 12 needy girls, who are pursuing professional degree courses, adding that they were also providing ration for the marriage of girls belonging to weaker sections, along with providing medicines to the needy. He said money was not a constraint as help poured in whenever it was needed.
