The government welfare schemes are designed to uplift the poor, providing them with housing, financial aid and basic necessities. However, the ground reality often contradicts these claims. The tragic condition of Layak Ram’s family, residing in Kyari Gundahan Panchayat of Shillai Tehsil in the Trans-Giri region, is a stark example of how these schemes fail to reach those who need them the most. Despite multiple government promises and approvals, this 16-member family has yet to receive a single benefit.
Layak Ram’s home is not a house in the conventional sense. It is a makeshift shelter made of plastic sheets, torn fabric, and wooden planks—a structure more suitable for cattle than human habitation. The family once lived in a mud house, but it became structurally unsafe and was on the verge of collapse. Fearing for their safety, they had no choice but to shift to their cattle shed, where they continue to live today.
Layak Ram, a daily wage labourer, lives with his wife, four sons and their families. His eldest son, Dayaram, along with another family member, works as a labourer in Shimla, while the rest depend on irregular and uncertain daily wage jobs. Their monthly income is barely enough to feed everyone, yet the family is not even listed under the below poverty line (BPL) category, depriving them of basic government assistance.
Despite their desperate condition, Layak Ram’s family has received no financial or housing assistance from the government. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), their house construction was approved, but due to bureaucratic delays, political interference, and local authority negligence, they have not received any funds or materials. For years, they have approached government officials, local panchayat members, and higher authorities, seeking the benefits they are entitled to. Yet, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Promises were made, but no action was taken. The family’s ancestral land is minimal and unproductive, leaving them with no means to improve their situation.
Realising that help is unlikely to come, the family has begun constructing a mud-and-stone house on their own. With limited resources and no financial aid, they are doing whatever they can to protect their children from extreme weather conditions. Winters bring freezing cold winds into their fragile home, while monsoons leave them drenched inside.
Their story raises serious questions about the effectiveness and transparency of government welfare schemes. If a family that meets all eligibility criteria is denied basic support, how many more like them are suffering in silence?
Layak Ram’s family is not just an isolated case—it is a symbol of systemic failure. Their suffering highlights the disconnect between government policies and their actual implementation. If the authorities do not take immediate action, the very purpose of these welfare schemes—to uplift the poor—will remain an empty promise.
The government must act now. Delays and excuses cannot be an option when families are forced to live in cattle sheds. Immediate intervention is needed to provide Layak Ram’s family with a dignified home, financial stability and basic necessities—before it is too late.
By
