Bhawanipatna: At a time when governments at both the Centre and State claim to be reaching every doorstep with welfare schemes, a heart-wrenching story from a remote village in Odisha’s Kalahandi exposes how poverty and neglect still leave families fighting for mere survival.Nabin Nag, a 55-year-old daily wager from Badtemri village under Jaipatna block, has spent decades struggling to provide even the bare necessities for his family. Despite a lifetime of toil, neither he nor his family has received the benefits of government welfare schemes meant for the poor and vulnerable.Living under a makeshift polythene shelter by a marshy patch of land, Nabin, his wife Champa, and their three children — Debaki, Gita, and Shibam — endure appalling conditions that defy human dignity. With no land of their own and no formal identity documents like Aadhaar cards for four family members, they remain invisible to the system. This denial has left them excluded from essential services such as free ration under the Public Distribution System (PDS), housing assistance, and healthcare benefits.“My children sleep on damp ground. We don’t get ration or any help. I’ve tried so many times to get Aadhaar cards made, but nobody helps us,” said Nabin, his voice breaking as he spoke to this correspondent. His words reflect not just personal despair, but a collective failure of the mechanisms meant to protect and uplift the poor.What makes their ordeal more tragic is that no government official or NGO has extended any form of assistance to them in all these years. The residents of Badtemri expressed their anger and helplessness, stating that while political leaders come seeking votes during elections, no one remembers them afterward.“This is not just poverty — this is humanity crushed,” said a local villager, highlighting how welfare schemes on paper have failed to translate into relief for those like Nabin and his family.Repeated attempts by our reporter to contact Jaipatna Block Development Officer (BDO) for clarification went unanswered, raising further concerns about administrative indifference.“The plight of Nabin Nag’s family is not an isolated case, but a stark reminder of the gaps that persist in the delivery of welfare services in rural Odisha. It calls for urgent intervention not just from the government but also from civil society organizations, NGOs, and concerned citizens,” said Dr Gouranga Charan Rout, a local development activist.“Ensuring Aadhaar enrolment for every member, providing immediate shelter assistance, access to food security, healthcare, and livelihood support should be prioritized. The district administration must swiftly take stock of the situation and restore dignity and hope to this marginalised family. If welfare schemes are to serve their true purpose, stories like these should never exist in a developing society,” added Dr Rout.
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