Sita Ram Lodhi, known as Dashrath Manjhi of Bundelkhand, became a victim of the government system. In 2018, Sitaram Lodhi, a resident of Hadua village of Pratappura Panchayat of Chhatarpur district, at the age of 70, single-handedly dug a well in the village field. Sita Ram Lodhi says that there is a shortage of water in the village. Water was needed for irrigation in the field, so after about 18 months of hard work, he himself dug a well in his field. After this, the district administration and local leaders praised him and talked about financial help for the well. At that time, Sitaram Lodhi was also in the headlines.
No one took any notice even after 6 years
Sita Ram Lodhi says that he dug this well in 2018. The local administration and public representatives had promised financial help. The then collector had asked for two lakh rupees so that his kutcha well could be cemented but even after 6 years no one took care of Sita Ram Lodhi and even today Sita Ram is worried about the well dug by his own hands. Sita Ram says that every year the well collapses and then the soil has to be removed from the well again.
Government promises
Sita Ram Lodhi says that the district administration and many leaders of that time had promised to give Rs. 2 lakh 10 thousand as financial help so that the earthen well could be repaired. They also promised to provide government schemes but all the promises turned out to be government ones. The situation is such that now the well has completely sunk in the rainy season.
Former cricketer VVS Laxman tweeted
Seeing the hard work of Sitaram Lodhi, former cricketer VVS Laxman had tweeted praising him, after which the district administration came into action and the Tehsildar of his area made a poverty line ration card for him. Apart from this, he has not received anything till date. Sitaram Lodhi says that neither has he got the benefit of the housing scheme nor has he got the benefit of a government toilet. Sitaram Lodhi and his family members say that the officials of the district administration had made false promises to garner praise. Till date no one has taken any care of him. He has also visited local leaders many times.
He is 76 years old but still did not accept defeat
Sitaram Lodhi is now 76 years old but he has still not given up. He says that as soon as the rains subside, he will once again start working on the well but he regrets that the district administration did not fulfill the promises it made. If he had received financial help, perhaps his well would not have collapsed.
Report- Jai Prakash