UP officials rush to help orphans after CM tweet

District officials rushed to help four orphaned children living in a makeshift room in a village in Fatehpur Sikri area after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday tweeted his reaction to a media report on their plight.

The sub-divisional magistrate of Fatehpur Sikri met the children and assured them of help.

Village head Ram Pradhan has provided them some living space and a sum of Rs.1,000 per month, but this was not sufficient for their livelihood.

Pradhan said the eldest Sonia, 12, could work in the fields for additional income.

Sonia cooks food for the other three children and also looks after them.

Villagers told police that their parents had committed suicide after the 2013 crop failure.

Their uncle said he had three children of his own and it was not possible for him financially to look after seven children. He, therefore, asked them to leave his home and fend for themselves.

The matter came to light when the youngest, six-year-old Rohit on Tuesday went to a police station and asked for help from "police uncle".

Police then approached the panchayat (village council) and asked if it could help the distressed kids.

--Indo-Asian news Service

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