“I was a 23-year-old mother with a 100-day-old child when I became a widow. The thought of a long life ahead frightened me then. Now, when I look back the thought still scares me. I have found a lot of courage in you (Vrindavan widows) and that is your real strength,” said Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday. She was speaking at a function organised to announce the construction of a government home for widows in Vrindavan.
The home, which will come up at a cost of Rs.57 crore, will accommodate 1,000 widows and is being built under the ‘Swadhar Greh Scheme’ of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This will be the largest ever home for widows to be established or funded by the government.
“This new home is being constructed to provide better living conditions to a large number of widows at Vrindavan after it was found that their condition in the existing ‘Swadhar’ Home was not satisfactory. The house will provide shelter and skills to the widows to ensure dignity and a source of income in case of need,” said the Minister.
The Minister said the idea of building the country’s largest widow home in Vrindavan was inspired by the works of a Nari Shakti Puraskar awardee who used to cremate unclaimed bodies of women. The shelter, which is being built by the National Buildings Construction Corporation, is being designed in consultation with HelpAge India’.
Union Minister announces new home in Vrindavan to accommodate 1,000 widows
