The linking of Aadhaar card with ration card has been made compulsory to stop leakages in the public food aid distribution system. However, there are still people whose Aadhaar has not been made and are unaware of its usage due to which, despite having a ration card, a lot of beneficiaries are denied their entitled food and fuel subsidies.

Sima Munda, an 11-year-old orphan girl, is unable to make an Aadhaar card and is missing out on such government aid programs. She is left to fend out for herself – cutting wood in the forest and selling logs to make as much as she can to survive. The day she's sick, all she can do is rest empty stomach.

Munda used to live with her grandfather who took care of the girl after she was orphaned. He sent her to school and ensured meals on their plate by availing food assistance from the government. They used to get 10 kg of rice on the grandfather's ration card which somehow managed to sustain themselves. However, the situation changed when he died. Sima used to get five kilograms of rice until it stopped after the implementation of the Aadhaar linking rule. Due to not having its Aadhaar card, the panchayat office refused to provide her food aid.

Munde said, "Everyone in my home has died. I go through selling wood and have studied till Class 5. I can't get the rice as I don't have Aadhaar."

She then began lumbering which earned her anywhere around Rs 30-40 a day. With that, she bought some salt and oil and whatever little she can get. During rains, the inability to cut wood prevents her from having any meal. She has also left her school.

Her neighbour Sudi Nuda informed that she gives some rice to Sima out of sympathy which she has with salt.

According to a local social worker Sanjib Sahu, people here live in the lower vicinity of a nearby mine and are cut off from government aid schemes. "Locals here are unaware of the rules surrounding ration. The government also stopped providing rice to those who don't have Aadhaar."

Meanwhile, village sarpanch Jabheshwari Majhi said that rice is provided to beneficiaries weekly. "The day she (Sima) came, we told her that you do not have an Aadhaar. We have told everyone to link their ration card with Aadhaar. Yes, I can give a few kilograms of rice on my behalf, but it is important to make a card as well. We also have to work according to the rules."

Zee Media Newsroom