Lathor: Housing schemes for the poor launched by both the State and the Central government has not been of any help to Bhagawan Chatria, a poverty-stricken man of Lathor panchayat under Khaprakhol block in Bolangir district.
Despite running from pillar to post, Chatria has been deprived of a house under government launched schemes. He has been pleading with the officials concerned to take notice of his plight and provide him with a ‘pucca’ house.
Chatria lives in a shanty along with his wife Basanti. The poverty-stricken couple got their daughter Sebati married by taking a loan. Subsequently they repaid the loan amount by working as labourers in Andhra Pradesh.
However, with age catching up with them, they cannot toil as they used to in the past. So now they earn a meagre livelihood by growing vegetables and selling them in the local market.
Chatria only has land measuring where 68 decimals. On it he has constructed a ramshackle mud hut and covered it with tarpaulin. The hut is in such dilapidated condition that it can collapse any moment during the rainy season.
There are a number of housing schemes of both the State and Central Government. However, for Chatria nothing has materialised. He alleged that he has applied many times to the district administration to avail of the schemes, but has not got any benefit.
PNN
