
Who Helps People Like Gaura Bai?
Last September, their village officials told Gaura Bai that if she wanted to get money from a government housing scheme called PMAY-Rural (which helps poor people build homes), she had to first destroy her old house and take a picture showing she had no home. They said this photo was needed for the computer to accept her application.
But that was completely wrong. The rule didn't say that at all. Sadly, Gaura Bai and her family believed the officials, because they didn't know how the system really worked — and they didn't feel they could question what they were told.
She applied for the house using her MNREGA job card, but then something went wrong with the computer system – a 'glitch' – and her name was not added to the list. So while lakhs of homes were being built for others, she was left with nothing.
Because she doesn't use technology or the internet, she had no way of checking what went wrong or how to fix it. And she's not alone — many poor families in villages, especially women from Dalit or tribal communities, don't know how these digital systems work. They are expected to use online apps and portals, but often no one helps them when the system fails.
Thankfully, a newspaper, The Times of India, wrote about her story. After that, the government promised to give her temporary shelter and fix her housing problem. But what about the 10 months she already spent in the open, suffering with her family?
Also, what about the many other people like Gaura Bai whose stories don't make it to the news?
This shows a big problem — when technology is used to help people, there must also be a backup plan in case the tech fails. Otherwise, people who need the most help can be forgotten and left behind.
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