Lucknow, Aug 20 - What happened to the promised hospital, school, community centre and other welfare schemes that were announced for the village in Uttar Pradesh where eight-year-old Pinki, the protagonist of Oscar-winning documentary 'Smile Pinki', lives, her family is wondering.
Pinki's father Ram Sajeevan said Thursday that they were struggling to get implemented the welfare schemes that were announced for their Rampur Dabai village, in Mirzapur district, after the documentary won the coveted award. Mirzapur is about 300 km from Lucknow.
'For us the development schemes mean more than the Oscar. We are running from pillar to post to know about the status of the welfare schemes meant for our village,' Ram Sajeevan told reporters.
'At the time the award was announced the district administration announced a slew of welfare schemes for improving the living standard of the people of our village. But the authorities are yet to fulfil the promises,' added Sajeevan.
He along with his daughter Pinki was in Lucknow to attend a programme organised in the evening by the Lucknow Public Schools and Colleges (LPSC), which has decided to impart free education to Pinki till Class 12.