Coronavirus: Special powerlifter Neha Rajak's family battles hunger, fears home eviction due to financial crisis

Jamshedpur, May 15: Millions of people in the country are going through financial crises due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown in the country. With very little or almost no work, people are finding it extremely hard to make ends meet. The heartrending news of migrant workers walking thousands of kilometres for their native places is already making headlines.

Amid all this, the story of special powerlifter Neha Rajak and her family in Jamshedpur is no different. Neha's family also facing similar troubles due to the lockdown and soon they might be rendered homeless if the conditions don't improve in the Lockdown 4.0 - which comes into force from May 18.

As per a report published in The Telegraph India, the Jharkhand athlete's family hasn't paid the house rent since March and their landlord has asked them to vacate the property if they fail to clear the dues. The powerlifter's family is hoping the relaxation in the lockdown will bring them some relief.

"We have not paid the house rent for the last three months. The rent is due on May 23 but we don't have money to pay the landlord. Don't know what to do," Neha's father Vinod, who works at a laundry in Bistupur, was quoted as saying.

19-year-old Neha claimed four powerlifting bronze medals in the Special Olympics International World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi last year. She was promised a sum of Rs 4 lakh for her exploits from the Union sports ministry but she's is still awaiting the much-needed monetary aide.

Her father says he can urge the landlord for an extension if he gets to work from the next week. Both he and his wife are jobless due to the lockdown.

"I would be able to get back to work. I can ask the landlord to wait for another month so that I can get my salary. The laundry where I work is closed, while my wife is not getting a job as a helping hand. The money which we got is not enough to sustain for long. The lockdown has put us into big trouble," said Vinod.

The family, as of now, is surviving on the groceries provided by well-wishers but that too is exhausting rapidly and they are forced to sustain on rice and aloo bhujiya.