Cuttack: The pathetic conditions of some senior citizens living in this city will once more demonstrate the apathy they face at the hands of the authorities. Most of them are deprived of the benefits from various government schemes floated for them.
The case of 75-year-old Dhannal Chinnama amply demonstrates this fact. She leads a lonely and wretched life in Odia Bazaar locality situated in Ward No. 18 here. Dhannal lives in a ramshackle house and gets a monthly pension. But that is hardly enough to see her through. She blamed officials of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation for her plight.
Dhannal has married off her three daughters and her son died a few years ago. In spite of numerous applications and visits to the municipal office she is yet to get the benefits of a ‘pucca’ house or a ration card. This despite she being entitled to these benefits through various government schemes.
“The only government benefit I get is old age pension. However, it is hardly enough to meet the monthly expenses,” Dhannal said.
“I have visited the CMC office on numerous occasions asking officials to provide me with a ration card. But all my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. If I still do not have a ration card, how I can hope for a pucca house or electricity under the ‘Soubhagya Yojana’ scheme. With the monsoons arriving, I am constantly in fear that the house I stay will cave in,” she added.
Like Dhannal, the 85-year-old Narana Amma has the same story to share. She lives in the Odia Bazaar Tanti Sahi locality with her two widowed daughters. She also hasn’t got a ration card or power connection under the ‘Soubhagya Yojana’ scheme.
Former corporator of Ward No. 18 Arun Sethy expressed his helplessness regarding the situation. “I have visited the CMC office many times requesting officials to help out the two. However, citing one reason or the other, they are not looking into the matter. They have asked the two again to apply for the benefits. Both Dhannal and Narana have applied on numerous occasions, so why do they need to write again for the benefits,” asked Sethy.
“A year has gone by and yet the two senior citizens are deprived of the benefits they are entitled to. The CMC officials are responsible for the delay,” Sethy alleged.
As the Mahanadi ebbs and flows, Dhannal and Narana can only pray that someday they will be able to enjoy the benefits they are entitled to.
PNN