A public hearing at the Panna collectorate in Madhya Pradesh turned into a deeply moving scene that left those present shaken. Pushpendra Singh, a resident of Gaura village, arrived to plead before the Collector while carrying his disabled wife on his back, with their children alongside. His wife, Neelu Raja, is unable to walk, and that helplessness was exactly why her husband's back became her only support.
No Ration, No Scheme for a Decade
Weeping as she spoke before Collector Usha Parmar, Neelu recounted her ordeal. For the past 10 years, she said, she has received neither ration nor the benefit of any government scheme. To this day the family has been left out of even basic schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas housing programme and the toilet scheme. With no source of employment in the village, their circumstances have only grown harder.
Ration Card Changed, Slip Never Issued
Neelu said panchayat staff changed her ration card from the extreme below-poverty-line category to the ordinary below-poverty-line one. After that, she was never issued a ration slip, which is why no grain has reached her home for a decade. The woman alleges she knocked on the doors of the sarpanch, the panchayat secretary and several officials, but no one heard her out.
Kidney Treatment, Children's Education Hit
Describing her plight, Neelu said she cannot move about on her own and is undergoing kidney treatment at AIIMS Bhopal. The family's financial condition has become so weak that even the children's education has begun to suffer. According to her, she carried her appeal everywhere, from the panchayat to the janpad, the district panchayat, the collectorate and even the Chief Minister's office, yet her problem has gone unresolved to this day.
The Collector's Assurance
As she narrated her suffering at the hearing, Neelu Raja broke down. After listening to the entire matter, Collector Usha Parmar took it seriously and assured the woman that a ration slip would be made for her and that she would receive benefits from the schemes she is eligible for. Following this assurance, the family returned home hoping that this time their plea might finally be acted upon.
