Bhubaneswar: Despite several government schemes aimed at uplifting the poor and vulnerable, many deserving beneficiaries continue to remain outside the welfare net. One such case has emerged from Kumujhuri village under Patrapur block of Odisha’s Ganjam district, where a man has allegedly been deprived of basic government assistance for decades.
Chaitanya Sabar of Kumujhuri village has been living in a crumbling thatched hut for nearly 30 years. With no permanent source of income and limited means of survival, he continues to endure harsh living conditions.
Villagers say his condition reflects the challenges faced by some marginalized families who are yet to get benefits from welfare programmes meant for the needy. Chaitanya depends largely on the 5 kg of rice distributed under government food security schemes and on resources collected from nearby forests for his livelihood. Despite his poor condition, he has allegedly not received assistance under any housing scheme nor has he been granted pension benefits, they alleged.
“I have been living here for 30 years, and have survived cyclones and storms while living in these difficult conditions. The government provides me with only 10 kg of rice. I am now 61 years old, but I do not receive any pension or other financial assistance. On days when someone gives me food, I eat. Otherwise, I survive by drinking water. If the government provides me with a house, it would be a great help,” said Chaitanya.
Responding to the allegations, Sarpanch of Turubudi panchayat Duryodhan Sahu said he would personally visit Chaitanya’s residence, assess the situation and arrange for photographs required for the housing scheme application. He added that the matter would be brought to the notice of the Block Development Officer (BDO) with a request to provide housing assistance at the earliest.
“Chaitanya Sabar is from Kampakunda. What happened to his family in Kampakunda, did they pass away or what? He was wandering around doing odd jobs. He had applied for a house… actually, he hasn’t applied. He says he doesn’t have a house. There is no provision to build a house on land that doesn’t have a deed. Since there is no land deed, we will go today to find out about it. Then we will apply to the BDO. Whatever the BDO decides will be done,” said Duryodhan.