Latest news with #GauraBai
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
All The Gaura Bais
When tech-based welfare delivery fails, who helps India's digitally unlettered poor? For ten months members of an all-women household in a tribal village in MP – 80-year-old Gaura Bai, her widowed daughter-in-law and her three small grandkids – have lived under a tree, after razing their own kuccha house in village Lohari, Dhar district. They demolished their hut last Sept because, as TOI's July 7 story of the shocking incident ('House Lost, Hope Stalled') reported, their panchayat told them that to claim the amount under PMAY-Rural, she would have to demolish the structure, 'show the computer an image proving' she had no house. This was, of course, a total misreading of the scheme. Tragedy is that most of India's disadvantaged rural groups, like Dalit or tribal women, are so impoverished, they aren't equipped to spot an absurdity or a fraud – far less cross-check or factcheck a sarpanch or officials. And should they dare to question officials, consequences can be severe. Her application was made using her MNREGA card. But a 'system glitch' stalled her allotment. Till March 2025, in MP, over 37L PMAY-Rural houses had been built. Gaura Bai can be seen as one case that fell through the cracks, unseen in all the govt and thinktank audits on PMAY-R. But that's not the point. She has paid the devastating cost of an overly tech-dependent system, which has no Plan B that can be locally addressed. Given 60% of PMAY-R allotment is meant for SCs and STs, how can govts not see the chasm between tech-enabled systems and beneficiaries of the scheme – a largely digitally unlettered population? The TOI report resulted in govt assuring Gaura Bai accommodation till her allotment is resolved. Who compensates her for the hardship of 10 months? Who is accountable for technical flaws? Gaura Bai's case came to light courtesy TOI's report. How many Gaura Bais may be out there, stranded on a technical error? Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Who Helps People Like Gaura Bai?
Gaura Bai is an 80-year-old woman who lives in a small tribal village in Madhya Pradesh. She used to live in a simple mud house with her widowed daughter-in-law and three little grandchildren. But for the last 10 months, they have been living under a tree. Why? Because of a big mistake. 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. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
PMAY scheme: Tech snag forces 80-year-old widow to live under tree in Madhya Pradesh; 'They asked me to raze house so it won't appear during site visit'
MHOW: No typhoon has blown the roof over Gaura Bai's head. The storm lurked in a software glitch of PMAY, the govt scheme supposed to provide the MP octogenarian widow a house. The snag remains unresolved, forcing Gaura to live under a Babool tree along with her widowed daughter-in-law and three grandchildren in a village in Dhar district for the last 10 months. The trouble began when Gaura was informed by officials that she would get a house under PM Awas Yojna (PMAY) but must demolish her mud house to secure the benefit. "They asked me to demolish my house so that during a site inspection, no house is seen at the place," Gaura said. Officials claim the system is not processing her application any further. 80-year-old razed mud house hoping to get pucca one soon The 80-year-old razed her mud house in Lohari village of Kukshi tehsil in Sept 2024 on the directives of officials, hoping to get a pucca house soon. Since then, days, weeks and months have passed as Gaura, daughter-in-law Radha Bai and her three children brave winter, summer and now, monsoon, under open sky. 'One day the village sarpanch and panchayat secretary told me that my house was sanctioned. Taking them seriously, I razed the house. When I contacted officials for sanctioning money, they told me the process would take a few days. Days have turned into months under this tree but the promised money is yet to come,' Gaura said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Sarpanch Amar Singh Waskel pleaded helplessness. 'After her name was reflected in the list of beneficiaries, we informed her. When her application was processed based on her job card, the online application did not move forward. Nothing can be done at the village level. She will have to go to the collector's office,' Amar said. Janpad panchayat CEO of Nisarpur block, Kanchan Waskel, explained, 'When her application is logged in, the system shows an error. I have directed staff to check and find a solution,' Kanchan said. Asked about the matter, Dhar collector Priyank Mishra offered hope. 'I was not aware of the issue. Since the matter has now come to my notice, I will get it examined on priority,' Mishra said.
