A mother and autistic daughter struggling for years to have an own house

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A mother and her autistic daughter belonging to scheduled caste is suffering without having a place to live due to the negligence of government officials. K Jaya and her daughter J Deepa (31) is living in a tiny one-room house of their relative’s house in Barton Hill, Thiruvananthapuram.

Since 2010, Jaya had been visiting government offices to get approval for a house. Her complaint is that the authorities are not taking action even when they are eligible to have a house.

Jaya's husband Stephen, who sold ice cream in front of the Museum Police Station, died in 2009. She and her daughter earn money by selling popcorn there, which is not enough to meet their expense and treatment.

In 2018, Deepa's application for a house was under consideration of BSUP scheme of municipal corporation, but it was not sanctioned. Later, the Principal Secretary of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department intervened in the matter and sent a letter to the Collector in 2019. The collector sent a letter to the Tehsildar in February 2020 demanding a solution. Although the tehsildar sent another letter to the Village Officer in March to find the land and report to him, no action has been taken. Lastly, minister K Radhakrishnan also intervened but still Jaya and her daughter are homeless.