Laxmi Mirdha lives with her husband Tulas and two children in a dilapidated house in Supli village of Chilabhat GP of Nuapada block. They are migrant workers. They have already taken Rs 40,000 from a labour contractor in advance to work in a brick kiln in UP.
"We will migrate in December, but before that we wish that the sarkar provides a ration card under PDS for my husband and children, I have a ration card in my name and am getting only 5 kg rice," says Laxmi.
She is not sure whether her name has entered into the priority list of PAMY. "Who knows, Government officials do not listen to our grievance; it depends on their mercy," she adds. Chandrika Satnami and her husband Brijlal live with their daughter in a mud house in Dharambandha. "We have approached everyone starting from the Sarpanch to the BDO, Nuapada for a house, but they don't have sympathy. We are now sure that they would not give us a house," says Chandrika. While Brij Lal gets 5 kg of rice under NFSS, Chandrika and their child are yet to be included. "We are daily wage earners, migrate to Bhatta (brick kiln) in winter. We cannot run to the Government offices every now and then," adds she. One will encounter several such cases in Dharambandha village, which is located 12 km from the district headquarters of Nuapada. Bhojram Satnami and his wife Manki and daughter are also not getting any ration under NFSS/ SFSS.
They're also migrant labourers and ready to leave village after November. Deo Singh Satnami and Gauri Satnami of this village too are living in similar condition. They do not have a pucca house. They are also in need of a job card to work under MGNREGS.
Urmila satnami, Girbal and their three children Sachin, Parbati and Sati live in Dharambandha. Urmila and the children are yet to be included in NFSA/SFSS. Girbal is included in his parents' ration card. They are also migrant labourers. "The hardship of these families living in marginalised conditions without even having a pucca house is stark, but it is difficult to understand how their conditions do not draw attention of Government officials and elected representatives," remarked Nirmala Bariha, a social worker. "They should be immediately included under NFSA and RH scheme," added she