Financial assistance pours in for Odisha sisters

They had to do hard labour to arrange money to clear fee dues in engineering college

Financial assistance poured in for Loji Behera, a diploma engineer, who along with her sisters opted to work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), to arrange money to clear outstanding fee in engineering college and fund her higher studies in Puri district.

The Odisha government provided ₹30,000 as interim measure to clear Ms. Behera’s backlog dues out of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The Hindu on Monday carried the story titled “Odisha sisters work for MGNREGS to pay fees” on the front page highlighting the financial crisis of the girl and her family. She was unable to undertake higher studies due to fund crunch.

Despite holding a diploma in civil engineering, Ms. Behera had to carry mounds of earth on her head while laying a road near her Goradipidha village under Chainpur panchayat in Puri district. The story has since gone viral.

“Today ₹30,000 has been given to Ms. Rosy Behera as an interim measure to clear her backlog dues out of the Chief Minister’s Relief fund. We are also ensuring that she takes up her higher education without any hurdles,” Puri district administration told The Hindu on Twitter. It also posted a picture taken when the cheque was being handing over.

Readers from abroad too came forward to take care of her higher studies.

While a theatre actress immediately paid money to the Dalit family, others were said to have deposited financial assistance to their ability in the account of the girl. Of the five girls, the second one is pursuing B.Tech in computer science in a private engineering college. According to Ms. Behera, her family does not own any land.