NUAPADA: Unable to bear medical expenses, a poor couple has reportedly mortgaged its Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) house in Nuapada district. Forty five-year-old Gouranga Duria and wife Mithila of Mantritarai village under Lanji panchayat of Khariar block have mortgaged their house for a paltry Rs 20,000 to bear treatment costs of the former's kidney ailment.
Sources said that Gouranga worked at brick kilns in other states to eke out a living. Around two years back, he was diagnosed with a kidney ailment following which he was confined to his house. Since then, Gouranga and Mithila have exhausted all their savings on his treatment but sadly, there has been no improvement in his health condition.
With no option left, the couple mortgaged the house built under PMAY to another villager a month back. After vacating their house, they have shifted to an unused dilapidated quarters of the Watershed department in the village.
Mithila, who is now working as daily wager to meet daily expenses, said, "We are barely surviving. We don’t have land or any support. Other than 10 kg rice, we are not getting any other benefits from the government. I request the government to help in treatment of my husband."
Contacted, project director of DRDA Madhuchanda Sahu confirmed that the PMAY house was sanctioned to Gouranga in 2015-16. She said the local block development officer (BDO) has been asked to verify the circumstances under which the couple mortgaged the house.
"I have also spoken to the chief district medical officer about the provisions of treatment for the patient. We can provide for his treatment under the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) on receiving proper medical reports," she said.
Meanwhile, Khariar BDO Narayan Sahu conducted spot verification on Tuesday to ascertain the circumstances that led to the mortgage of the house.