Mother of 18 gets widow pension
GURUGRAM: Taking cognisance of the plight of 55-year-old Bissar, whose problems were highlighted in Hindustan Times on Thursday, the deputy commissioner of Mewat visited Akera village in Mewat and granted her a monthly widow pension of Rs1,800 and supplies on ration starting Thursday.
“Her biometrics were taken and the name of the children were added to the list. She was not entitled to get old age pension as she is 55-years-old so, we have started her widow pension and have also given her the details of schemes,” Ashok Kumar Sharma, the deputy commissioner, said.
HT had on Thursday carried a report on the single, unemployed mother of 18 in Mewat, who was had been seeking help from the administration, but had not received any assistance. She has five daughters and 13 sons. Her 30-year-old daughter is the oldest of the lot and the youngest is a sixyear-old girl. None of her 12 children, who are adults, is employed.
Officials said that a 20-year-old daughter, who is differently abled, will also be eligible for a Rs1,800 grant. “There is a state disability pension scheme, under which people of Haryana domicile with a minimum 60% disability and are 18 years of age or above, are given pension as per the eligibility criteria. They are paid Rs1,800 a month. I have directed the medical board to conduct a test on Friday and if she falls under that category, she will get the benefits,” Sharma said.
Five teams of district officials were formed on Thursday morning to visit the village.
Sharma said the family does not fall in Below Poverty Line (BPL) category as she owns a house and land in the village. However, we have got her medical card made so that she will get all the medical benefits free of cost and the children dependent on her can also avail of the facility, he added.
Bissar said she was initially scared when seven cars arrived at her house and around 25 people, along with gunmen, came to visit her. Bissar married Mohammad Ishak in 1976 when she was just 13 years old.
Over the next four decades, Bissar would become pregnant 23 times. Five babies didn’t survive.
My children ran, thinking that they have come to arrest us, as we were complaining against officials... we have received an Eid gift. Last night, we were in tears thinking that we will have to eat the Eid feast at a neighbour’s house.
BISSAR, mother of 18