4 years after they donated land to govt for a care home, Kerala couple feel shattered

Four years after an aged couple based in Kozhikode in Kerala handed over their land along with a two-storey building to the government for building a care home for people with mental illnesses, the project has reached nowhere. For Kamalasan, 81 and his wife Sarojini, 76, speedy realisation of the care home is not just a dream but the fulfilment of an emotional requirement since it’s linked to the welfare of their own daughter, who is 42, and may need lifelong care because of her mental health condition.

The couple residing at East Nadakkavu of Kozhikode district, donated their Rs 3.5 crore worth property to the government hoping to start a care home for women with mental disabilities. They believe that only the government can take care of their daughter Priya, who has been living with Schizophrenia since her childhood, after their death. This was the major reason why they handed over their property that includes one acre of land and a two-storey building that can accommodate around 50 patients in Veliyam of Kollam district.

The couple wanted the centre to be named after their daughter, ‘Priya home for mentally challenged women.’ In June 2018, when TNM visited the family, Kamalasanan and his wife were hopeful about the promise made by the government of setting up a care home soon.

“The journey from there was not easy for me. A few months later I saw an advertisement in the newspaper inviting NGOs to take up the care home project in the property I gave. I was worried since I trust only the government. So I sent a letter to the Chief Minister complaining about this,” Kamalasan said.

The CM stopped the move, but people behind the plan to hand it over to private parties were angry at him, says Kamalasan. “There were attempts to block the funding for the renovation. I sent multiple complaints and letters to the government. Now my relatives living nearby said that they have brought some beds and did some work in the place, but nothing else happened,” he added.

Kamalasan’s health condition doesn’t allow him to travel from Kozhikode to Kollam to check on the updates of the project. “We are too old now and really worried about the project. Many NGOs run similar organisations to make money. I want my daughter to be in safe hands,” says the retired school teacher.

“Until our last breath we will take care of Priya, after that, as we planned she should go to the care home. We dreamt of such a project not only for her, but also for other women and girls who have similar needs,” Kamalasan says.

However, speaking to TNM, an officer from the Social Justice Department, Kollam, said there is no attempt to hand over the property to private parties. “There is involvement from the ministry level in the project, we are in the process of setting it up,” the officer said. The officials did not attribute reasons for the delay in completing the project.