Baramulla: Despite living below the poverty line and being housed in a tin shed for the past four years, a family in Dewar Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is struggling to get assistance under the Indra Awaz Yojana (IAY).
Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, while narrating his ordeal said that he had applied for assistance under IAY long back and since then has been running from pillar to post to get the case sanctioned.
“People who have at least a house to live in have received assistance under the IAY programme,” he said. “I don’t have my own house and am living in a tin shed. I don’t understand why I have been deprived of the assistance despite being eligible as per the criteria of the scheme.”
Zaitoona Begum, a female family member living in the tin shed, said that their economic condition was extremely bad and they are often unable to feed two meals to the family.
She said that during summer, the scorching heat makes it extremely difficult to live in the tin shed while in winter there is every apprehension of freezing to death.
“The department officials during their visit acknowledged our plight on seeing our living conditions. However, despite assuring us to assist under the IAY scheme, we have been left out,” Zaitoona said. “We fail to understand if it is because of our bad luck or our inability to pay the bribe amount.”
The neighbours of the family said that the destitute family was living in abject poverty and did not have the resources for constructing a small house.
“The head of the family is a street vendor with minimal resources. We are surprised that such a transparent case is still pending. The tin shed where they live is the testimony of their state of abject poverty,” said their neighbour, Muhammad Ramzan.
Meanwhile, Block Development Officer (BDO), Singhpora, Pattan, Ishfaq Ahmad told Greater Kashmir that the case had been sanctioned and was at Serial No 34 and due for disposal.
“The family will get assistance under the IAY soon,” he said.