Binika: Although both the state and central governments have been implementing various schemes for the poor and the underprivileged, there are still scores of people who have been left out of the welfare programmes, thanks to the bureaucracy’s apathy. A case in point is at Sarangapali of Bankighidi panchayat under Binika block in Subarnapur district.
A 70-year-old man, Machhindra Suna, who is the resident of the same village, is under duress due to acute poverty as his wife is not getting the old age person though she has crossed 60.
Machhindra’s family includes his wife Ghaisan Suna, 69, and a 33-year-old daughter. However, all is not well in his family as his wife is a tuberculosis patient and the daughter is a divorcee with no source of income. Machhindra has mortgaged his ancestral one-acre land to raise money for his wife’s treatment and sans the land he has nothing left.
In financial year 2017-18, Machhindra was sanctioned money under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana but he spent the grant on his wife’s medical expenses.
Under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Annapurna scheme, Machhindra’s family is getting 35 kilograms of rice every month and also receives an old age pension of Rs 500.
However, it has been more than nine years that Ghaisan, Machhindra’s wife, has been struggling to avail the old age pension.
Machhindra said he has been visiting the panchayat and block offices like a pilgrim for Ghaisan’s old age pension but to no avail.
The state government and the central government both conduct awareness programmes on TB and the government provides Rs 500 to the patients for their medical expenses. So the correspondent asked the medical officer of Binika Hospital, Prabhash Chandra Pradhan, as why Macchindra has to pay from his own pocket for his wife’s treatment. Pradhan replied, “Both the primary and community health care centers are engaged in awareness programmes. The ASHA workers are appointed to identify the TB patients and the patients are provided various facilities including a sum of Rs 500 for their medicine expenses.” Feigning ignorance about Ghaisan’s story he added that if any such case has happened in the area he will ask the concerned ASHA worker and instruct her to provide Ghaisan with necessary medical services.
The correspondent also tried to contact the block development office (BDO) Biswa Ranjan Pati but to no avail. The correspondent did get hold of Bankighadi sarpanch Biswamber Sathpathy who assured that he would provide every facility to Machhindra’s wife soon.
PNN