Balia: A hundred per cent differently-abled girl of ward no 18 of Gopinathpur panchayat under Biridi block in Jagatsinghpur district is yet to get any benefits from any government schemes.
Twinkle, 12, daughter of Satyanarayan Sahoo and Kaberi Sahoo, is visually impaired, deaf and dumb. She lives a physically-challenged’s life since birth.
It was when Satyanarayan was trying to get a pension for his daughter he came to know that a disability certificate is must to get any government benefits.
He took Twinkle with him to Bhima Bhoi Samarthya Sibir held at Biridi March 23. There the doctors conducted some tests and gave her a certificate, mentioning her hundred per cent differently-abled.
Within a week of getting the certificate, he went to Gopinathpur gram panchayat and deposited all the required documents.
Meanwhile seven months have passed, and Satyanarayan says, “Government is launching several schemes for physically-challenged. Some aides are also being given to physically-challenged children and persons. And I am told preference is given in case of girls. If a hundred per cent physically challenged girl is deprived of her pension, for whom are all these schemes and benefits meant?” he asked.
He further said that he had even attended the Collector’s grievance cell held at Biridi in July last. The Collector gave a patient hearing to his grievance and then directed the concerned officials to take immediate steps for Twinkle’s pension.
For some time it seemed to him that now her daughter’s long wait for pension would come to an end. But even after the Collector’s direction, nothing has come Twinkle’s way.
PNN
