RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug 27: Simon Oraon (84), who was conferred the Padma Shri in 2016 for his single-handed and untiring work to harvest water and facilitate irrigation in villages, today got a pucca house to stay in. Earlier, he was residing in an asbestos-roofed house.
This has become possible after bank officers under the aegis of the United Bank Officers Association (UBOA) on December 26, 2020, laid the foundation stone to construct a house for him at his home block Bero, about 45 km from the state capital.
Assistant general secretary of the said association, Rambali Ram, informed about the development saying that ‘it is a 2BHK house spread in 1200 square feet area worth approximately Rs 14 lakh.’
“Proper arrangement to keep Oraon’s award will also be done in the house to motivate all those visiting his house to meet him and learn water harvesting,” Ram said.
Those present during the inauguration of the house included UBOA president Sunil Kumar Basant, vice president Sukant Laha, general secretary Kaushik Ghosh, deputy general secretary Sanjay Das among others.
Design for the house was planned on June 6, 2020, when Ram accompanied office bearers of the organization visited the asbestos roof house of Oraon and architect Ritesh Kumar.
Oraon, popularly known as Jal Purush, got the house exactly 24 days after he was discharged from Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), where he was admitted on July 30 in critical condition after a brain stroke.
Oroan expressed his pleasure over the development. “I never thought about the house while working for villagers. I have planted several trees and dug wells to keep villagers happy. It is good that someone thought about my need in old age,” Oraon, who resides in the house with his wife and three granddaughters, said.
Oraon, who is also popularly known as Parha Raja (village king), is known for his contribution to his work for the protection of nature and the environment, always asking people to think about the benefit of nature. He asks everyone not to harm the environment for petty gains.
“Flora and fauna have the same right on the earth that a human being has. We should ensure it’s right. I have single-handedly planted so many trees that one cannot count all those trees in one day,” Oraon says while motivating people to take care of nature.
