"Since the beginning, Sulabh has been helping out the people on margins. So far, we have liberated over 120,000 scavengers," said Pathak.
Kalawati herself threatened to commit suicide, unable to make ends meet.
"Monthly financial assistance of Rs.25,000 for the next 20 years will ensure she is able to take care of her children," Pathak added.
Gandhi referred to two poor families of Shashi Kala and Kalawati in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in his speech during the trust vote in the Lok Sabha July 22.
Stating that there was no electricity in the duo's houses, Gandhi sought to link the power situation in the country, especially in rural areas, with poverty alleviation and the need for nuclear energy.
Kalawati, with seven daughters and two sons, was left with a nine-acre plot of farmland, which she used for cultivating cotton and soybean, according to Gandhi.
As Vidarbha region has been in the grip of prolonged drought, Kalawati, like many others, did not find the output from her land enough to take care of her family.
Source: IANS 29/July/2008
