Woman, differently abled daughter living under flyover
KARNAL: Whether it is summer, harsh winter or rain, Kamla and her differentlyabled daughter Sanju are living in an unprotected environment under a flyover, barely 500m from Panipat mini-secretariat.
Kamla, 66, hesitates to speak of their past and family but Sanju says her father used to drink and has left her mother. She adds that she was married to Badal, of Gharaunda in Karnal, but he too abandoned the mother-daughter duo.
Even as the government has launched many welfare schemes for women and the economically weak, benefits of these schemes are not reaching them. They said nobody has come forward to offer help.
They have two iron boxes, clothes, two charpoys, blankets, some utensils and a chulha. “Earlier they were living at a bus shelter, but from past few years, they are here. They were here even during the pandemic and lockdown,” said a police official deputed to monitor the traffic.
“We have no home to go to,” the duo says.
In May this year, the Haryana State Commission for Women took notice of them and officiating president of the commission, Preeti Bhardwaj Dalal, has asked the district officials to furnish details of the two so that they can be provided benefits under government schemes.
District women and child protection officer Rajni Gupta said, “We tried to collect details of their family and found out that Kamla’s husband Narender had left her and married another woman before his death about five years ago.
Gupta added that Sanju’s husband lives with his maternal uncle in Gharaunda and is a labourer.
She said Sanju does not live with him as she does not want to leave her mother.
An official of the department of social justice and empowerment said as per their present status, Kamla is entitled for widow or old-age pension and Sanju is entitled for differentlyabled monthly pension, besides ration and other benefits provided by the government.