Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s sister-in-law, Ira Basu, has been found living on pavements in northern Kolkata. The 70-year-old was shifted to a mental health hospital in the city by Barrackpore police on Friday. Ira is a retired government school teacher, and the reports of her living homeless spread after some students came to felicitate her on September 5. The 70-year-old has been living on the footpath under the Dunlop flyover for several years, but reportedly never begged for anything.
Ira had retired from the Khardah Priyanath Girls’ High School in 2009 after more than 30 years of service. Despite being eligible for a pension, she reportedly didn’t submit her documents. The faculty at the school termed Ira as a sincere teacher but recalled that during her last couple of years at the job, she would often come to school barefoot and wearing dirty clothes.
After retirement, a former headmistress of the school had welcomed Ira into her home where she lived for a couple of years. Ira moved to live on pavements after the death of the headmistress. She has been living on the provident fund which she got with the help of the headmistress. Locals said Ira never begged anyone for anything and used to pay for her food.
Krishna Chandra, the present headmistress of the school, said that despite being eligible to receive a pension, the 70-year-old never claimed it. The Barrackpore district inspector of schools on Friday asked the headmistress to hand over the documents of Ira to start her pension.
While former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is yet to comment on the matter, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Manash Mukherjee said he knew Ira for several years, and even tried to help her, but she did not want any support.
CPI(M) leaders in the area said they once admitted Ira to a mental hospital, but she disappeared within a few days.
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