Rayagada: For 20-year-old Renuka Nayak, life has been confined to a bed since birth. Suffering from cerebral palsy, she is entirely dependent on her mother for even the most basic needs.
Despite holding a 90 per cent disability certificate, she continues to receive only Rs 1,200 a month in pension — far less than the Rs 3,500 promised by the Odisha government to those with 80 per cent or more disability.
Renuka’s condition leaves her unable to sit or move unaided. Her head is disproportionately large due to a brain disorder, and her limbs are severely underdeveloped and non-functional. She lives with her mother, Basanti Nayak, and younger brother in a rented home in Rayagada’s Nehru Nagar. Basanti works in several households to support the family while her husband works outside the district.
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A 2013 disability certificate rated Renuka’s impairment at 80 per cent. After a government policy change earlier this year, a new certificate issued March 26 upgraded her to 90 per cent disabled, qualifying her for the higher pension.
However, the increase has yet to be implemented, and she has never received government aid for her treatment.
Moved by her plight, lawyer Gouri Patnaik, in whose home Basanti works, donated a modern bed brought from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Sunday.
Patnaik has urged the district administration and philanthropists to step in. District Social Security Officer Shrikant Panigrahi said steps would be taken to ensure Renuka receives all benefits. But until then, her family’s struggle — and the government’s delay — remain painfully evident.
PNN
