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Daily wager turns crorepati through lottery
Manoj Kumar, and his wife Raj Kaur were working as dailywagers at a local brick kiln near their village in Punjab Sangrur districtSince August 30, however, their life changed when the tables turned
MANDVI VILLAGE (SANGRUR, PUNJAB): Manoj Kumar, and his wife Raj Kaur were working as daily-wagers at a local brick kiln near their village in Punjab Sangrur district.
Since August 30, however, their life changed when the tables turned. Property agents and bankers are at the doorstep of their ramshackle home with lucrative investment offers worth several lakhs, thanks to the Rs 1.5 crore Rakhi Bumper lottery of the state government that Manoj won.
Interestingly, he had bought the ticket after borrowing Rs 200 from a neighbour. And also, it was the first time he had bought a ticket. Now that he is a ‘crorepati’, he finds himself in the unusual position of making plans for the future, especially for his children. Before he won the lottery, the eldest of his three daughters, who cleared her Class XII exam this year, had started looking for a job in Sangrur. He has told her to end the job hunt and start studying again so that she becomes eligible to join the police force as she had once planned.
Manoj’s father Hawa Singh died recently after developing asthmatic problems. “Whatever little savings I had, I spent on his treatment, but I could not save him,” says Manoj, who regrets he didn’t win the lottery earlier as the money would have saved his father.
“I’m being approached by bankers” Manoj said, “After my father died, I went back to the brick kiln. Even after putting in extra hours, I could never earn more than Rs 250 a day as I was paid 50 paise per brick.”
Manoj, who has already handed over the required documents to the state directorate for lotteries to claim his reward, says he will get the money in the next couple of months. “As word has spread, I am already being approached by property agents who are promising to help me buy the most fertile agricultural land around the village. Some bankers too have called me up to brief me about good investment schemes,” he says.
The family would also be offering financial help to Manoj’s elder brother, who lives next door and works a daily wager. “We feel that it is our responsibility to help other members in our family to make their lives better,” says Raj Kaur.
