Several families of three villages under Gram Panchayat Bindukhadak have been facing grim livelihood crisis since the sole earning members in them succumbed to the hooch tragedy. At least 19 people have died in Balupur village alone. Most of the victims were wage earners. In the aftermath of their death, the family members are finding it very difficult to survive. In the remotely located Bindukhadak village, the only work left to the people is that on the fields or the one of the labourerers. All the three villages-Bindu, Kharak and Balupur-are devoid of public transport which can connect the rural areas with the nearest town.
One has to trudge at least four kms to come to Churiyala railway station from where one can get an auto-rickshaw. There is no factory standing near the area to help the villagers explore other livelihood options. Things are such that the men work as labouerers to earn living while the women are forced to stay at home.
One woman residing in Balupur village said while talking to The Pioneer that she has six children, including two girls, to take care of. “Given the death of the sole bread earner, I am wondering how I will run the family. The death of my husband has landed me in a grim crisis. I do not know how I will get out of it,” she rued. Similar is the condition of other women in the village left widowed by the tragedy. The gram pradhan Shiv Kumar said that 16 families had no earning members in them. “Things are really grim for them. We are all worried, wondering over what would happen to them,” he said.
ADM Bhagwanpur D S Negi, however, assured that the widows in the village would be given pension for which directions have been given to the accounts department. “Besides, financial assistance would be given from the State Government.
Efforts are also on to take help from some NGOs on the matter,” added ADM.