Mohini gets promise of job from admn again

The Pioneer, June 12, 2009
Bikash Khemka | Bhawanipatna

Governor MC Bhandare on Wednesday came on a visit to Kalahandi district.

The Governor, during his last tour of the district one-and-a-half years ago, had visited a watershed project at Pastikudi, where one Mohini Sahu, a physically-challenged matriculate girl, had requested him to arrange a job for her. The Governor had immediately directed then Collector Pramod Pattnaik to engage her in a job. This had generated a lot of hope for Mohini.

Later, a joining letter (No 338 dated 15.01.2008) from the Watershed Mission was sent to Mohini asking her to join as a Warder at the Maa Phoolmati Watershed Committee under the Watershed Mission at Pastikudi on a monthly salary of Rs 400. But she did not agree to take up the assignment and again requested the Governor for a job of Zilla Shiksha Sahayak. But even after such a long time of getting the Governor’s direction, the district administration failed to help Mohini with a job of Shiksha Sahayak.

This time, Mohini went to meet the Governor at the Zilla Sanskruti Bhawan, which he inaugurated. But unfortunately she failed to meet him there. Later, she rushed to Dongriguda, 13 km from Bhawanipatna, as a pillion rider in a motorcycle to meet the Governor, who went there to visit the Anganwadi Workers’ Training Centre. She was able to meet him to tell her plight. Her two legs are already paralysed and she can’t walk properly.

Bhandare again listened to Mohini patiently and directed Collector R Santhgopalan to arrange immediately a tricycle and a job for her within 15 days. But time will tell whether this time Mohini will be lucky in getting justice from the district administration.

During his visit, Bhandare inaugurated the Zilla Sanskruti Bhawan built here at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. He then went to the Dongariguda Orphanage, 13 km from Bhawanipatna, where he interacted with the inmates and told a story to 47 orphan children of the Banabasi Seva Samiti. The story was about three little friends — an eagle, a tortoise and a deer which did not leave each other in a dangerous situation. So, he advised the children to hold strong faith among them and not to leave each other.