Though a HIV affected widow has been leading a dignified life with cooperation from her villagers, but the district administration has not provided her a pucca house. She has knocked the doors of the district administration several times in this regard.
Snehalata Behera (39) of laxminarayanpur has been suffering from the killer disease HIV/AIDs over more than one decade. But she is leading a normal life with her only son after the death of her husband due to the same ailment.
According to Snehalata, she got the fatal infection from her husband, who died of the disease in 2002 after contacting with the virus while working in Mumbai. Soon after the death of her husband, she had to face untold miseries. At one time, she even attempted to commit suicide.
However, the villagers encouraged her to lead a normal life and assured her all sorts of help. The villagers also recommended her name in the village palli sabha to recruit her in the local Anganwadi centre. As a result, she got job as anganwadi worker since last one decade and has been taking care of students by cooking food and also feeding the children in her own hand. Though, she has been afflicted with HIV/AIDs, but the locals do not find anything wrong with her in taking meal with her and passing time with her companion, thanks to the awareness created among the villagers on the fatal disease. Except Madhubabu pension, she has failed to get any other special Government benefits meant for helping the HIV affected patients.
“The district administration has failed to enrol my name in the BPl list. I have not got a house under IAY or Biju Pucca Ghar Scheme despite the fact that I knocked the doors of the BDO of Derabish and the district Collector umpteen times,” lamented Snehalata.
When contacted, Derabish BDO Pitambar Samal said in order to get an IAY, the name of the person should be recommended through palli sabha. But in Snehalata’s case, no such things happened.
He, however, added, “ I have directed the sarpanch of laxminarayanpur to take necessary steps for recommending the name of the HIV victim widow to get IAY by organizing a special palli sabha on last October 2. later steps would be taken to provide her a house under the scheme.”