COVID-19 strikes in Odisha’s rural heartland, villagers pushed further into poverty
The Hindu
Social activists demand that the government come up with new programmes to address the pandemic-induced new poor.
Thirteen-year-old Jagannath Rana is yet to come to terms with the loss of his father Biranchi, 45, who died of COVID-19 four days ago in Odisha’s Nuapada district. Jagannath works as an assistant in a shop six km away from his village Mahulmunda in Khariar block, but has not been able to find some time to grieve over the biggest tragedy of his life. He is not alone. With the pandemic triggering untimely deaths across the length and breadth of Nuapada, families are grappling over the loss of their family members as they scamper to earn their daily bread.More Related News
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists