Mamta Patra is an NGO founder and a Community Correspondent. As a child, Mamta saw her father arrested by police on a fake case. This early experience set the direction for her life, which she has since dedicated to fighting inequality and corruption. Due to the injustice to her family, Mamta has familiarised herself with the laws which are meant to afford…

Mamta Patra

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How does a family of 8 get by on one person's salary? This is a question that Rambha Mirdha of Bhadidar village, Sambalpur District Odisha wakes up to each morning.

Community Correspondent Mamta Patra brings us her story.

When Rambha's husband passed away two years ago she became the sole bread winner for her 3 children and her ageing parents. She supports them by working odd jobs as a wage labourer.

Her two young children have now dropped out of school to support her.

Though she qualifies as an individual living below the poverty line, she has no documentation to prove this and therefore cannot get access to any of the subsidised ration provided by the Public Distribution Scheme.

"Instead of buying the government rice at Rs 1 per kg I buy it at a shop for Rs. 20 per kg. We don't have enough money for 2 meals a day," says Rambha.

The problem of families not being issued BPL cards is now an often repeated one. This article in the Indian Express gives an idea of the situation at hand: http://www.orissapost.com/oppn-slams-govt-for-non-issuance-of-bpl-cards/

Rambha has now visited several authorities including the Block District Officer to get her BPL card. Each has promised to get the issue sorted but Rambha is still waiting for her card and her entitlements.

Call to Action: Vijay Kumar Sai, Block Development Officer, 09937453743 and ask him to ensure that Rambha Mirdha gets her BPL card immediately.