Elderly man in Odisha’s Sambalpur seeks support for welfare of orphaned children

An elderly man on Saturday approached the Sambalpur District Collector to appeal for the sanction of government aid for his three orphaned grandchildren in the Baniabandha village of Rairakhol. Reportedly, the man, identified as Nanda Munda, had earlier made repeated calls to the administration for help but alleged that he received no support.

Reports indicate that the three children, belonging to different families, were orphaned due to various reasons. Aged six, seven, and eight years old, the youngest of them is a boy while the other two are girls.

All of them are in the protective care of their grandfather, but he mentioned to sources that government aid is desperately needed for the welfare of the kids, who he stated also attend schools.

“One of the kids lost his father to a bear attack and his mother to an illness. The other two also had similar fates where parents died due to snakebites and illnesses, despite being provided treatment at the Burla hospital. My relatives said that I could receive government aid and I have been trying to obtain the same for ages,” said Nanda Munda.

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Allegations against Administration:

In the same accounts, he also alleged that he is facing immense hurdles in procuring the required documents and has been moving around with a passbook for five days. 

“I do not know what documents they want. Upon approaching the bank, they ask me to fetch something or the other, but I am unable to understand and request the administration’s guidance,” he added.

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Administration's response:

Meanwhile, the Sambalpur Project Director (PD) Prasanna Patra, assured that immediate assistance will be provided and that he has already instructed the concerned officials to take necessary action. 

“They approached us today and narrated their ordeal. We will arrange and facilitate the disbursal of funds immediately,” he said.