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| The children of deceased SPO Nachhattar Singh with a photograph of their father in Bathinda on Thursday. |
| Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma |
Bathinda, May 20: Four children of a deceased SPO in the Bathinda police are on the verge of being rendered homeless as the police department is going to evict them from a residential quarter of the department, allotted in the name of their father.
Barinder Kaur (16), Tina (13), Rajni (11) and Arshdeep Singh (9) are the four children, who sustained a shock when five years ago, their mother eloped with her paramour, deserting them at a tender age.
Though their father, SPO Nachhattar Singh, did his best not to let them feel the absence of their mother, he succumbed to his illness a few months ago and left the children to lead the lives of orphans.
The police department is issuing eviction notices to make the children vacate their residential quarter located in police lines in Bathinda. The department gives the excuse that as per the rules, after the death of an SPO, the allotment of accommodation in his name is cancelled.
A teacher, Jhutika Mohalla, at Government Elementary School, where three of the siblings study, said she tried a lot that Barinder, the eldest daughter of the deceased, should get some job but all in vain.
Observing the pitiful lives of these forsaken children, the Police Department or some NGO should come forward to help them, she said.
Good Samaritans offer a helping hand. Help pours in for deceased SPO’s kids but police department yet to respond.
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| Social activists hand over letters to adopt the children of a deceased SPO for their education at their residential quarters at the Police Lines in Bathinda on Friday. |
| Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma |
While the civil society has come up with a quick response to the news appeared in The Tribune on Friday under the heading ‘Deceased SPO’s children face dark future’, the police department is yet to show a human face to the four children of the deceased SPO of Bathinda police Nachhattar Singh.
The news item highlighted the miserable life of the four children, who were on the verge of being rendered homeless as the police department was asking them to vacate the residential quarter allotted to their father in the Police Lines, Bathinda.
Having no source of income, the poor children (all minor) were managing livelihood using the financial aid provided to them by their neighbours at the time of their father’s death. But the kids were left with only Rs 1,800.
Taking a suo moto notice of the news report, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) today sought a report from the state government through the Bathinda SSP, by the next date fixed for July 12.
Lending a helping hand, the Guru Gobind Singh Group of Colleges has assured in writing to adopt the eldest among the children, Barinder Kaur (16), doing her matriculation, for higher studies. They offered her to join any course at any of their colleges without fee. In addition, the college authorities would provide books, hostel accommodation, food, clothing and stationary to her. Considering her three siblings, the college authorities assured to assist them with a financial aid of Rs 2,000 per month till they started earning.
Further, volunteers of three NGOs, namely the Mata Durgi Devi Charitable Trust, the Sri Aggarwal Sabha and the Beti Bachao Manch, visited the poor kids and sympathised with them. In letters, social activists expressed willingness to bear the expenses of education of the three younger children (one each). Chairman of the Mata Durgi Devi Charitable Trust, Sadhu Ram Kusla handed over Rs 1,000 for some urgent requirements of the family.