After an anxious wait, a pending cash award of Rs 4 lakh is set to be credited to the bank account of special athlete Neha Rajak by the end of this week.

The 19-year-old’s family has struggled to make ends meet during the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown.

Rajak, who is intellectually impaired, and a resident of Sonari, Jamshedpur, had won the cash award after claiming four bronze medals in powerlifting, representing the country in the Special Olympics International World Summer Games held in Abu Dhabi last year.

“We have been intimated by Special Olympics Bharat, that Neha’s file has been processed at the sports ministry and the amount would be credited later this week,” said Special Olympics Jharkhand (SOJ) assistant area director Satbir Singh Sahota, to The Telegraph Online.

Neha’s case was stuck at the sports ministry due to the lockdown, even though SOJ pursued the matter via the SOB, whose headquarters are in Delhi.

However, no headway was made, and Neha’s family found themselves at the receiving end.

Financial crisis forced the family to survive mostly on maar-bhaat (starch rice) till help poured in from various quarters.

Her father and mother lost jobs and there was no earning member in the family.

The hapless powerlifter received Rs 50,000 sanctioned by the SOB last month, which Sahota said which said that they would return once the athlete received her cash award.

Earlier, Sahota provided Rs 5,000 and groceries to the family.

while SOJ area director Bailey Bodhanwala cleared a three-months pending house rent.

A UK-based businessman chipped in with Rs 10,000 while the District Legal Services Authority arranged for grocery.

The state sports department has also promised Rs 2 lakh under the Sports Welfare Fund Scheme for Sportspersons.