Disabled Man Awaits Pucca House as Family Battles Poverty in Khordha ;

70 per cent disability leaves Rabindra Pradhan dependent on meagre pension and ration rice; mother seeks government intervention.

Dillip Kumar Pattnaik

KHORDHA, OCTOBER 24:- For Rabindra Pradhan, a 70 per cent disabled man from Dalei Sahi under Kanpur Gram Panchayat in Khordha Panchayat Samiti, a pucca house remains an elusive dream despite his repeated appeals for government assistance. His family continues to struggle to make ends meet, surviving largely on his disability pension and rice supplied through the public distribution system.
Rabindra, son of late Gopinath Pradhan, has reportedly approached the Khordha Panchayat Samiti office and the district administration several times, seeking a house under the Antyodaya Griha Yojana. However, he alleges that his appeals have yet to yield a positive response, leaving the family to cope with prolonged financial hardship and uncertainty over its housing needs.

The family’s economic condition remains precarious. Rabindra receives a monthly disability pension of only ₹ 1,200, while ration rice provides another source of basic sustenance. With no adequate and dependable source of income, meeting everyday household expenses has become a daunting challenge.
In the absence of sufficient financial support, Rabindra’s mother has reportedly been working as a domestic help, washing utensils in other people’s houses to support the family and look after her disabled son. Her modest earnings, however, are barely sufficient to meet their basic needs, leaving little scope for improving their living conditions or securing long-term financial stability.
Against this backdrop, Rabindra’s mother has appealed to the government and the Khordha district administration through the media to extend immediate assistance to the family. Her demands include a pucca house, 35 kg of rice and additional financial support to help them overcome their difficulties.
The family has also sought an enhancement of the monthly disability pension from ₹ 1,200 to ₹ 3,500, arguing that the existing amount is inadequate to meet even the essential needs of a person with a disability living in economically vulnerable circumstances.
The case has brought renewed attention to the difficulties faced by poor families seeking access to housing and social security benefits. Welfare schemes are intended to provide assistance to eligible households facing economic distress, but the experience of Rabindra’s family raises questions about whether its application has been adequately examined and whether the family’s circumstances have received due consideration.
Local residents have urged the authorities to verify Rabindra’s eligibility under the Antyodaya Griha Yojana, examine the status of his application and assess the family’s financial condition. They have stressed the need for timely intervention so that any assistance due under the applicable government provisions can reach the family without unnecessary delay.
For Rabindra and his mother, a permanent house would mean far more than a concrete structure. It would provide shelter, security and a measure of dignity to a family struggling against disability and poverty. Their appeal now awaits a response from the concerned authorities, with the hope that their plight will receive the attention it deserves.