SAMBALPUR: As the nation has come forward to join the fight against coronavirus, tribal villagers from a remote part of the State have shown they are not to be left behind. Setting an example, every household of the tribal-dominated Dangapal village under Jujumora village on Friday contributed money to the PM-Cares Fund. The villagers have contributed Rs 27,000 from their own little savings.
A cheque for the amount would be handed over to Jujumora BDO on Saturday. Located 35 km from Sambalpur, the village comprises of 300 households, 200 of whom are tribals. While most depend on agriculture and collection of non-timber minor forest produce, others work as daily labourers to eke out living. Their low economic status, though, did not deter them from contributing whatever they could muster.
Members of Utsav Parivar Social and Cultural Trust of the village visited every house in the village on the day and collected money from people who had voluntarily agreed to contribute. A villager Jayant Pradhan said the country is passing through a crisis due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“As its citizens, it is our duty to help the country tide over this crisis. We cannot do much except adhering to social distancing and contributing to the national cause”, he said. He said around 30 members of the Trust including women visited every household in Dangapal besides, three hamlets of the village to collect the donation. Each household came forward and contributed as per its might. While the lowest donation was `2 by a villager, another local handed over a maximum `2,222, he said.