Bhubaneswar: A Class X girl who had been adopted by a couple in Balasore district when she was just 21 days old has now sought the help of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for her and her widow foster mother, who is now suffering from mental illness.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, the girl Subhadra Panda narrated her plight which has gone viral on social media. She is the foster daughter of Srinivasa Panda and Annapurna, a native of Patanaraipur village under the Remuna block in Balasore district.
Subhadra was in Class II when Srinivasa passed away due to an illness. Subsequently, her foster mother Annapurna also lost her mental balance. For the last eight years, the mother and daughter are surviving on the Rs 500 widow pension and free rice provided by the government.
However, she is facing difficulties in managing her studies, household expenses, and treatment of her mother with the pension money. Her mother, whose mental condition is worsening gradually, also sometimes turns violent, vandalizes goods, and attacks her.
In her letter, Subhadra stated that she wants to study and treat her mother. However, she is unable to survive in such adverse conditions and asked the Chief Minister to save her.
After learning about her plight, some voluntary organisations came forward to help her. On the instruction of Balasore Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Jubak Majhi and Remuna Block Development Officer (BDO) Chhabirani Sahu visited Subhadra’s house.
The administration has assured her to take care of her studies and other requirements.
