Bhograi: Thirteen families whose huts were destroyed by Cyclone Phailin in 2013 are still waiting in line for government assistance in Bhograi block of Balasore district, in an indication of how benefits of several housing schemes are failing to reach those most in need.
Both the state and central governments have been executing housing schemes including Indira Awas Yojana, Mo Kudia and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana to cater to the housing needs of the poor and disadvantaged sections of society. However, benefits of such schemes hardly reach the intended beneficiaries.
The sorry state of 13 poor and daily wager families living at Shyamanandapur near Chandaneswar village indicates ineffective implementation of such schemes for them. The block administration and local people’s representatives are yet to take note of their plight, even after almost three years passing since.
While many others in their area were provided houses in the aftermath of Phailin, these unfortunate villagers were left out.
Due to grinding poverty, they have not been able to rebuild their houses. Over the years, they have resorted to taking shelter under polythene sheet-covered shanties supported by a few wooden poles with no protective walls around.
The families alleged they have been exhausted from repeatedly apprising the local people’s representatives and block officials several times of their plight, but nothing has been done to alleviate their misery.
“When it rains, life becomes more miserable for them. In the absence of walls, rainwater enters the hut, making it difficult for us to sleep or even sit,” lamented family members of Gopal Sahu, Jaykrusna Sahu and Jiban Krusna Sahu.
Taking a dig at local people’s representatives and officials, they observed that none of them have any sense of obligation towards the poor and underprivileged.
Till Phailin, they used to stay in their mud-walled thatched houses. But the gale flattened their houses, leaving them at the mercy of the elements.
The administration did not provide them polythene sheets nor any sort of assistance, they alleged. “After our houses collapsed, we had to buy polythene sheets from the market and build tents,” said the families.
The other problem for these families is unavailability of work, which is contrary to the government’s claim that it is has been implementing MGNREGS to provide earning opportunities to the poor.
The daily wagers’ families have to often go hungry when work is not available to them.
Harish Sahu is now too old to go out for earning. “When we do not get any work, we have no other option but to go without food,” Harish said.
“Our children have to suffer along with us,” he added.
During thunderstorms, they have to move to the verandahs of neighbours to take shelter until it stops raining. They demanded that the government take steps to provide them houses under any of the schemes.
BDO Diptiranjan Sethi said that he would look into the matter and take action. PNN
