Elderly woman Gives Her Blessings to Chief Minister—Affectionately Touches His Cheek, Heartily Says Thank You

Raipur, May 16

The long wait of 62-year-old Shammi Durgam, from Usur village, a Naxal-affected area located at the foothills of Karegutta mountain in Usur block of Bijapur district, came to an end on May 15. On the occasion of the ‘Good Governance Festival’ organized in Galgam, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai handed her the keys to a newly constructed concrete house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Upon receiving the keys to her pucca house, Shammi Durgam became emotional. She affectionately touched the Chief Minister’s cheeks and said that living in a kuccha ( कच्चा ) house for years was very difficult for her—there was always the fear of insects and venomous creatures in every season. She thanked Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai repeatedly with emotion, saying, “Now there is peace in my life, and my children have a permanent roof over their heads.”
Smt. Durgam informed that her husband passed away 15 years ago due to illness, and since then, she has raised her two children alone and somehow made a living through farming. Now that she has received a safe, strong, and dignified home, it is not just a house but a reward for her lifelong struggles. It is a roof that is built not just with bricks and cement, but with the foundation of dignity, security, and self-respect. Shammi Durgam is a testament to the fact that when government schemes reach the right hands, they become not just buildings, but homes of trust and hope