New Delhi: Kalawati Bandurkar, the widow of a
farmer of Vidharbha region brought to limelight by Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to her shanty, on Monday received Rs
30 lakh from Sulabh International, a sanitation NGO.
The amount has been kept in fixed deposit in her name in
the Maragaon branch of the Central Bank of India, against
which she will get a monthly interest of Rs 25,000 to meet
education expenses of her four children and help them lead a
comfortable life, Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said.
Similarly, Rs 20 lakhs has been given to Sashikala,
another woman in Yavatmal district of Vidharbha region whose
name was also taken by Gandhi during a debate in the Lok Sabha
in 2008 to highlight the plight of farmers groaning under the
burden of loans, he said. She will get a monthly interest of
Rs 15,000.
"Money cannot buy her happiness, money cannot bring her
husband back. But it can certainly ensure that Kalawati and
her children never ever have to go to bed empty-stomach,"
Pathak said.
The Sulabh International adopted Kalawati and her family
after she threatened to commit suicide about two years ago,
unable to make both ends meet and with seven daughters and two
sons she was on the verge of starvation.
PTI
