A man carried his specially-abled wife on his back to attend a public grievance hearing in Madhya Pradesh. The couple told officials about their decade-long struggle to obtain ration benefits despite living in extreme poverty.
The scene unfolded at the Collectorate in Panna district, where a man named Pushpendra Singh arrived at a public grievance meeting with his family, including the children.
His wife, Neelu Raja, who is specially-abled, claimed before district officials that her Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration card, which is issued to households falling under the ‘poorest of the poor’ category, was converted into a standard Below Poverty Line (BPL) card about 10 years ago by officials of her village Panchayat without her knowledge.
She alleged that she was never issued a ration slip thereafter. This, the woman said, has resulted in her family remaining deprived of subsidised food grains ever since.
According to the family, they have also been denied benefits under several government welfare schemes, including housing assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) and support for toilet construction.
Neelu said her family struggles to make ends meet due to a lack of employment opportunities in the village. She further said that she is currently undergoing treatment for a kidney ailment at AIIMS Bhopal, adding that the family’s financial distress has also affected her children’s education.
Neelu accused local Panchayat officials, including the sarpanch and secretary, of repeatedly ignoring her grievances. She alleged that despite raising the issue with authorities at various levels, from the Gram Panchayat to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), no action has been taken on her complaint.
Overcome with emotion while narrating her plight at the public hearing, the woman appealed for immediate assistance.
After hearing the family’s complaint, Panna Collector Usha Parmar assured them that the matter would be examined and that steps would be taken to issue the required ration documents and extend the benefits of all welfare schemes for which they are eligible.
– Ends
(Based on inputs from Dilip Sharma)
