Forty-two-year-old physically challenged Vijay Nayak was distraught when his ancestral tile-roofed two-room house near the Kannur post office in the city collapsed two years ago following heavy rains, while he miraculously survived.
On Sunday, Mr Nayak was happy to formally receive the house keys from Mangaluru city South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath, which was later renovated at a cost of ₹5 lakh.
“I am really grateful to the MLA for rebuilding the House. Local councilor Chandravati Vishwanath played a big role in the timely reconstruction of the house,” said Mr. Nayak, who lives in the house with his younger sister Shanti, who works in a firm in the city.
Mr. Nayak lived in a tiled-roofed mud-floor house given to his father by Raju Shetty to take care of the latter’s farming land, and continued to live there even after farming had stopped. Mr. Nayak, who became disabled after falling during a house painting job, was allowed by Raju Shetty’s son Dheeraj Shetty to stay in the house and look after his property.
The earthen walled house was completely damaged when the compound wall of the adjoining house collapsed after heavy rains two years ago. “We were able to rebuild only a part of the house and the MLA helped us complete the work,” said Ms. Shanti.
Mr Kamat told Hindu That when he reached home with the councilor and local BJP workers, his condition was bad. “They had practically no shelter,” he said. Mr. Dheeraj Shetty and his family came forward to offer Mr. Nayak the land on which the house was situated. “I managed to arrange funds to build a decent (two-bedroom) house,” Mr Kamath said, and praised the active participation of party workers of the ward in the reconstruction of the house.
Mr. Kamat said that a house which was damaged in a similar fire has been rebuilt recently at Veernagar in Padil. Two houses in dilapidated condition were rebuilt near Bairadi Kere and at Maroli. He said that recently one house each in Alape and Urwa was renovated.
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