BERHAMPUR: When Subhadra Yojana was announced last year, 50-year-old G Nirmala, a resident of Birisingi village under K Sitapur panchayat in Kasinagar block of Gajapati district, was ecstatic. She was eligible and hoped for financial relief since she came from a poor family.
Her joy doubled when her name was included and subsequently, the first instalment of the assistance was deposited in her bank account in September. Nirmala utilised the money well with a hope for the next instalment which did not come, much to her shock.
Upon enquiry, the 50-year-old got a double jolt when Nirmala got to know that on official records, she has been shown as dead. She is not alone. Several eligible women in Gajapati district have not received the second installment of assistance under the scheme due to incorrect records and administrative lapses.
According to K Sitapur sarpanch K Tejeswar Rao, over 60 women have been deprived of benefits under the scheme. While some of them received the first instalment, some have not yet received any at all.
Forty-two-year-old Tarini Ganta was denied her second installment because records incorrectly showed her family owning more than 5 acre irrigated land or 10 acres of non-irrigated land. “In reality, Ganta’s family is poor and doesn’t even have a proper house. They work as daily labourers to meet their daily needs,” said the sarpanch.
Similarly, P Kamal (38) was removed from the beneficiary list on grounds that her family receives a government pension. Rao clarified that it was untrue as job is a dream for Kamal’s family. Beneficiary lists were initially prepared through door-to-door surveys supervised by district-level officers. Basing on the survey list, the first instalment was disbursed directly to the bank accounts. Now, the names are being removed without verification, said Rao.
Collector Bijay Kumar Das said complaints can be lodged on the portal which would be redressed.