Rammurti Rana, 60, of Chalola village is glad about good things happening in his life lately. His daughter, Sakshi Thakur, 22, got married on February 22, 2023, and she was blessed with a son on December 4, 2023.
On March 5, 2024, came the news that Una district administration’s wedding aid for poor women has been increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000. Rana believes this is a good thing that will help people like him.
“(The then Deputy Commissioner DC Raghav Sharmaji ne hamara dard samajha. Rs 15,000 was a big help. Otherwise, the wedding of my daughter would not have been possible,” says Rana, who has not been keeping well for the last many years and not earning. It is his wife, Prem Lata, who works under MGNREG (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee) scheme and supports the family.Apart from money, Rana had got five-six new women’s suits, one sari, eight kg desi ghee and one ceiling fan. For all these, he is thankful to the Una district administration and the managing committee of Mata Shri Chintpurni Temple.
His daughter appreciates the “great gesture”. “Until my wedding, I didn’t know the district administration helps people in need as well,” says Sakshi.
Ravinder Kumar, 50, of Bhaira village, too, is grateful for Rs 15,000 that he got for the wedding of his daughter, Simran Kaur, 22, which was held on February 23, 2024. “We’re happy about whatever we got from the temple. But we didn’t take any food ration,” says Kumar, who thinks “instead of being a breadwinner, he has become a burden to the family” as he has been facing serious health issues.
Rani Devi, 43, of Andora Upper village, received Rs 25,000 for the November 6 wedding of her daughter, Monika, 23. “Monika was two when I lost my husband. A bus driver, he was killed in an accident. I had to struggle a lot to raise Monika and her two brothers. The temple help lessened the wedding worries of our family,” says Devi, adding that they also got five-six women’s suits, four-kg desi ghee, 10-15 kg rice and two kg dal from the temple.
The temple committee, formed on March 17, 2008, started providing help for the wedding of poor women the same year. According to the temple records, from April 2009 till March 2024, they have spent Rs 13.48 crore on such weddings. Since the recent increase in the amount in March, they have already extended a help of Rs 3.25 lakh.
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