Dehradun: The family of Sarthak Bhardwaj who had become the winner of popular cooking competition, Junior MasterChef- Swad ke Ustaad is struggling to survive after being ignored by state government.
13-year-old Sarthak Bhardwaj had won the competition six months ago. Sarthak was given a hero’s welcome on his return from Mumbai after winning the first season of the show. Now however, no one pays heed and he and his family – mother, a younger brother and an Anganwadi assistant – are almost on the roads.
The mother of Sarthak Tripti is an Anganwadi worker with a salary of Rs 2,250 per month and is disappointed with the state government and also its citizens.
She said, “It is shocking that a boy who made the city and state proud just six months ago is being meted such treatment.”
She said that the government did not even issue a letter of appreciation to her son. She said, “Petals were showered on my son and a grand procession was held in our honour, but is has not taken long for people to forget us.”
Sarthak received a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh on winning the show. His mother used the amount, after a tax deduction of Rs 6.5 lakh, to open a fixed deposit account to save money for the boy’s higher education. She wants him to pursue a hotel management course from England. But failing to get recognition and appreciation from the government, life hasn’t unfolded for Sarthak the way he thought after achieving the feat.
Sarthak said, “I want to go abroad as opportunities here are not huge but at the same time if I stay here I would like to help other children who come from financially weak backgrounds.”
He said, “As I could not afford costly magazines, I read recipes published in newspaper supplements and experimented at home.”
He did not receive any professional training in cooking. Now the biggest problem he and his family faces is that his mother’s income – which she earns from a locally run Maggi point near her residence in Prem Nagar area – is barely enough to pay for the boys’ school fees. After her husband, Anil Kumar Sharma, died, Tripti opened the eating joint to sustain her family. But due to its secluded location, it does not see a lot of visitors.
Bureau Report
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