NGO Sulabh International adopted residents of six hamlets under Deoli Gram Sabha in Ukhimath where 54 men from the villages have been missing and are presumed dead since the June 16-17 disaster which hit Uttarakhand.
Tourism and Culture Minister Amrita Rawat and Sulabh International founder Dr Bindeshwar Pathak presented cheques for Rs 2,000 each to some of the 154 villagers in Dehradun on Thursday. Dr Pathak and wives or relatives of the missing men later participated in a hawan for the peace of their souls.
The NGO has decided to give Rs 2,000 per month to each women and aged persons in addition to Rs 1,000 to each of children. “We do not want the village to get a tag of ‘Village of Widows’. We want it to become ‘Model Village’. Now, we will take care of their needs. We will impart vocational training to widows and ensure proper education to the kids,” said
Dr Pathak. The NGO will also give Rs 2,000 to the unemployed youths as monthly allowance so that they can start earning their livelihood and children can pursue their studies. From next month all of them will receive the amount from nearby bank. Accounts are being opened for them.
He said, “The monthly dole given by us will not bring cheer to them but at least give them a source to run their families, the initial amount of Rs 2,000 per month will be paid for next five years. We have decided to aid the rehabilitation of the women, so they can get the threads of life back together.”
For about six months of the year, the men folk from Deoli Gram Sabha used to work in Kedarnath. The missing persons are from Schedule Caste and Brahmin community who were engaged in various services of the Kedarnath pilgrims and tourists. The devastating flood and landslides has left the twin villages with a population of just 154 people including 71 women whose husbands are still missing.
Minister Amrita Rawat said that other NGOs and corporate bodies should also come forward to adopt disaster affected villages. Acknowledging that tourists were now hesitating to visit Uttarakhand, she said that many popular tourist destinations and hill stations in Uttarakhand are unaffected by the disaster and tourists can visit these places without fear.