Raisuan: The mandatory linkage of Aadhaar card with ration cards of National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries has brought misery to Seema, an 11-year-old orphaned girl of Mahadeijoda panchayat’s Salarapentha village under sadar block in Keonjhar district.

Misfortune never comes alone. Seema says she has been told that her mother has gone missing a few days after her birth. It has been long since she lost her father to a disease.

She had been living with her grandpa. At that time they used to get 10kg of rice. And little Seema was still continuing her studies, despite odds. Two years ago, her grandpa breathed his last, leaving her all alone.

The circumstances forced her to leave her education from Class V. She had been living on five kilograms of rice.

As if all the misfortunes were not enough, last August, she was denied her quota of subsidized rice. Upon enquiring, she was told that her ration card is yet to be linked with her Aadhaar card.

To get her little stomach filled up, she has been collecting fire woods from nearby jungles and selling them in market. With whatever she is getting, she is buying provisions for her. On rainy days, she has to sleep on an empty stomach.

Neighbours and local residents termed the Central government’s move to link ration cards with Aadhaar cards as visionless. “Has the Central government ever thought there are so many Seemas in the country and what difficulties they are experiencing?” they asked.

They said they have taken Seema’s plight up with the officials, requesting them to get her an Aadhaar card, but to no avail.

When contacted, sarpanch, Mahadeijoda panchayat, Jabaswari Majhi said she would bring Seema’s sufferings to the notice of block officials and see how she could get her quota of rice as soon as possible.

PNN