VELLORE: The family of Rajan (name changed), a 10-year-old boy from Kasba, who is suffering from locomotor disability, is fighting an uphill battle to renovate their house with a dilapidated roof. They asked the State government to provide financial support for the renovation.
Apart from Rajan, the family, which is from the Arunthathiyar community, consists of his mother Varalakshmi and father Gunasekaran (51), who live in their dilapidated ancestral home in Kasba.
"We don't know when the roof of the house will collapse. Water leaks down from the roof and water from the drains seeps into our house even if there are short periods of rain. It will be of great help if the State government helps us in renovating our house as well,” Gunasekaran told TNIE.
Varalakshmi, who works as a housekeeper in a shop in Vellore, is the sole breadwinner of the family, while Gunasekaran stays at home to take care of their child, as he has lost vision in an eye due to a medical condition. She earns ₹3,000 per month, from which more than ₹1,000 goes for buying medicines for Rajan and his father. Even though Rajan gets free treatment at Christian Medical College, the family has to pay for his medicines.
Apart from the ₹3,000 she earns, the family also gets a ₹1,000 disability assistance from the TN government every month.
Vellore district SC/ST welfare committee member P Bala told TNIE, “We also request the collector to provide a government job to Varalakshmi as an Anganwadi worker. The family is facing poverty and they are struggling to even have proper food. As she is working on a daily wage, the family will face issues if she falls sick or another lockdown is announced. A government job will be helpful for the survival of the family.”