Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
- The Independent MLA from Achalpur in Vidarbha registers novel protest on Wednesday in front of Assembly building to demand betterment of conditions of handicapped persons in State
By Dheeraj Fartode
Independent MLA from Achalpur, Bachchu Kadu on Wednesday was cynosure of all eyes at Vidhan Bhawan after he entered the premises riding on a tri-cycle to highlight the sorry plight of handicapped persons in Maharashtra. Kadu's novel idea was to demonstrate problems faced by physically challenged persons who he claimed are victim of apathy of Government.
The MLA cycled in the Vidhan Bhawan with five handicapped persons on tri-cycles and attention of media and onlookers and politicians got immediately focussed on Kadu. Hundreds of persons gathered around Kadu in amazement as well as curiosity.
| MLA Bachchu Kadu along with his supporters at Vidhan Bhavan campus on Wednesday. |
Talking with ‘The Hitavada’ Bachchu Kadu said that the morcha was to attract attention of the Government for welfare of handicapped persons. The Government is constantly neglecting demands of the handicapped persons. As per the norms, Government should spend 3% of yearly budget for welfare of handicapped. However the norm has been followed more in breach but if the funds are used they can uplift the status of handicapped. The Government should also allocate houses to all handicapped persons.
Kadu demonstrated that handicapped persons do have energy and zeal to be use to nation and said some of them have won laurels in various sporting events. Some of the sportspersons who are handicapped are even decorated with Chhattrapati Shivaji Award by State. Therefore State should formulate a policy to properly utilise the services of handicapped persons.
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