SUBHADRA Yojana: Odisha tribal man forced to pawn wife’s gold to buy phone, SIM card for OTP & Aadhaar link

In a heart-wrenching incident, a tribal man from a village in Nuagada block of Gajapati district had to mortgage his wife’s gold ornaments to buy a mobile phone for OTP. The tribal man did not have a mobile phone for the Aadhaar link required for Subhadra Yojana.

So, he had to pawn his wife’s gold ornaments to buy a new phone and SIM card for the OTP. A video of the man narrating his helplessness with tears in his eyes has gone viral.

As per the procedure, an applicant should have his Aadhaar card linked to a mobile number. It is crucial while applying because they will get an OTP required for verification. Furthermore, the applicant's Aadhaar card and mobile number should also be linked to her bank account.

So, a mobile phone is mandatory for all applicants. This has become a struggle for many people, especially tribal women in rural inaccessible areas who did not have a mobile phone until now.

“I’m forced to mortgage my wife’s gold to buy a mobile phone. It is required for the Subhadra Yojana. While it is good that the government is helping us, at the same time, it has come with a lot of work like buying mobile phone, Aadhaar link, mobile number link, bank account link and what not. We poor people live a simple life. But, this has become all complicated,” the tribal man expressed his helplessness.