Govindapalli: While dozens of schemes are there for poor and helpless people in the state, a 70-year-old woman is yet to benefit from those.
Samari Hantal, widow of Adia Hantal, who hails from Pujariguda village under Khairaput block doesn’t have an Aadhaar card or a voter ID. She doesn’t get even old age or widow pension.
Since she doesn’t have any money to buy food, she collects edible forest produce and eats it after roasting on fire as she cannot buy utensils. Sometimes, villagers give her some food. In winter, she is
seen sitting near a bonfire for hours as she doesn’t have winter wear. According to the villagers, Samari can’t see and hear clearly. She can hardly walk.
The villagers have been demanding to provide the destitute with old age pension, 35kg of rice under Antyodaya scheme, a house and electricity. Some villagers said that Samari could live a better life if a medical check-up is done.
The Local Block Development Officer (BDO), Biswajit Chandra Burman, said that the panchayat executive officer would be sent to the village and government welfare schemes would be provided to her.
PNN