Ranchi: A day after 54-year-old Berjom Bamda Pahadiya arrived home at Amarbitha in Sahibganj district after walking 1,200 km on foot from Delhi for seven months since August, chief minister Hemant Soren on Sunday directed the district administration to connect him and his family members with MNREGA and other livelihood schemes to ensure they don’t go hungry.
Moved by his struggle to return home after losing his job and money during the Covid-19-induced lockdown last year, Hemant asked Jharkhand State Livelihood Mission Society to explore livelihood opportunities. Meanwhile, Sahibganj deputy commissioner Ramniwas Yadav wasn’t available for comments.
Reportedly, Pahadiya had gone to Delhi for a job with the help of an agent last year. However, he got duped there and was robbed of his belongings and cash in Delhi. Without money, he was forced to travel back home walking along the rail tracks. On March 11, he was spotted by a local NGO upon reaching Dhanbad, who later arranged for a bus for his travel. He reached home on Saturday.