Himachal Pradesh News
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu : Himachal CM Sukhu assures full support to four orphaned siblings in Chamba
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu extends government support to four orphaned siblings in Chamba, assuring education, care and financial assistance under the Sukhashray Scheme.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has extended comprehensive support to four orphaned siblings from Matwad village in Chamba district, assuring them of education, care and financial assistance from the state government.
The Chief Minister interacted with the eldest sibling, Nisha, through a video call on Friday, enquired about the children’s well-being and assured her that the government would stand firmly with them. Encouraging her to resume her studies, Sukhu said all four siblings would be admitted to a Child Care Institution, where the government would bear the entire cost of their education, accommodation, food and other essential needs. He also assured additional financial support to help stabilise their lives.
The plight of the children came to light last week after photographs from Matwad village in Bhajotra gram panchayat went viral on social media. The images showed the siblings living in a dilapidated room alongside cattle, highlighting their vulnerable living conditions. Their father died in May 2022, and their mother later left them due to illness and personal hardships, leaving the children without parental care or any stable support system.
Following the viral images, officials of the Chamba district administration visited the village to assess the situation. The children have now been brought under the Sukhashray Scheme, a state initiative aimed at providing care, protection and rehabilitation to orphaned and destitute children.
During her interaction with the Chief Minister, Nisha said she was forced to discontinue her education after Class X to look after her younger siblings. She also informed him that her 15-year-old brother had migrated to Chennai, where he was working as a labourer to support the family, while the two younger siblings remained with her in the village.
Sukhu advised Nisha to call her brother back from Chennai and assured her that the government would arrange suitable employment for him locally so that he would not be compelled to work as a labourer outside the state.
Expressing gratitude, Nisha said the government’s timely intervention had given her family renewed hope. Until now, the siblings had been surviving on subsistence farming and a small amount of money sent by their brother from Chennai. With the state’s support, she said, they could now look forward to a more secure future.
Meanwhile, assistance has also poured in from various quarters. A team led by Ajay Banyal, Assistant Public Relations Officer in the Department of Information and Public Relations, has been providing the children with ration, clothes and other daily necessities.
