SUBHADRA Yojana: Fed up with long wait for Aadhaar corrections, villagers block NH-57 in Balasore

Unable to make Aadhaar card corrections, angry villagers on Thursday caused a road blockade on National Highway-57 in Bhograi of Balasore district. Fed up with the apathy of the officials at the local post office and Seva Kendras, angry villagers staged a protest on the NH, causing a severe road blockade.

The Odisha government’s flagship scheme ‘Subhadra Yojana’ has forced hundreds of women to rush to Aadhaar Seva Kendras or common service centers to update/correct their Aadhaar cards. The last-minute rush has led to chaos in the service centers.

Angry villagers alleged the officials were making them run from pillar to post for the last four days. 

“They have been making us run from pillar to post since the last four days. Every time we go, they ask us to come the next day, but not doing any Aadhaar correction. We have come here every day, leaving behind our children at home. We have to pay the auto fares every day. So, we are protesting against the atrocities,” alleged a woman.

Another protestor said, “They are doing the corrections of only 50 people in one day. Why are they doing it in one place then? They should do the corrections in our panchayat so that people can go to their own panchayats. No one bothers about poor people.”

Normalcy returned in the area after local police rushed to the NH and brought the situation under control. The villagers were told that there was no fixed deadline for applying for the Subhadra scheme following which they called off the protest.

Meanwhile, Odisha Deputy CM Pravati Parida has clarified that there is no fixed deadline to complete the registration process.

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“There is no need to rush as money will be provided to all eligible beneficiaries as there is no deadline to complete the registration process. Those, who will complete the registration process after September 17, will also get financial assistance. Forms will be accepted till the last eligible beneficiary is included,” she said.