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61-year-old man makes bus stand his residence after debt forced him to sell home

- January 31, 2022

Chennai, Jan 31 (BPNS)

In a tragic incident of fortunes plummeting, a 61-year-old person, Madasami had to take refugee in the local bus stand as his shelter after he sold off his home due to mounting debts. The debts were incurred after he married off his two daughters. He is living in a bus shelter at Anaiyappapuram village in Alankulam taluk of Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu.

Madasami’s wife passed away five years ago and his daughters are living in different towns of the state. Both the daughters did not turn up to him to give him a helping hand.

Speaking to IANS the 61-year-old said, “ I don’t have any belongings except a few clothes, tiffin box, and some water bottles and I do work as a farmhand during the day. Some days I don’t have work and I beg for my food and other expenses. Life is so bad and no one supports me.”

He said that he was a popular folklore singer of his village and was always a most sought-after person during marriages and other functions in the village.

Madasami said,” I never expected that life will take such a turn for me. I was living happily and was popular in my village. After my wife’s death, I became weak physically, mentally and by the time my debts had mounted and I had no option but to sell off my home to settle the debts.”

The 61-year-old said that as he doesn’t have a valid residential address and a bank account, he is not able to go for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). He however said that he has an Aadhar card, ration card, and a voter ID card.

Without a valid home address, he cannot open a bank account as MGNREGS payment is through a bank account and he is not getting an old-age pension.

When contacted Tenkasi district authorities told IANS that they are ascertaining the details of Madasami and will find a solution to his problem in getting MGNREGS and an old-age pension to him.