By TC News Desk
Agartala, 16th March 2025: Rajkandi ADC Village in the Fatikroy assembly constituency paints a grim picture of neglect and despair. While the government continues its vigorous promotion of the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme, there remain families like that of Prafulla Debbarma who are left out, struggling to secure the very basic necessity of a decent roof over their heads. Their cries for help seem to have fallen on deaf ears, with the administration allegedly in a state of “deep slumber.”
For years, Prafulla Debbarma, his wife Sandhya Rani Debbarma, their son and their daughter have endured unimaginable hardship, living in a house that barely qualifies as shelter. “The roof is cracked and leaks with every rain, while the blazing sun beats down through the gaping holes,” said Sandhya Rani, lamenting the horrific living conditions that have persisted for far too long. “It has become a daily struggle for survival,” she added with despair in her voice.
The family belongs to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and holds a ration card, but this classification has not translated into the allocation of a house under any government housing projects. Despite repeated assurances from local leaders, the promise of a new house has remained just that—a promise.
The situation has taken a toll on the family in more ways than one. Prafulla, the head of the family, has been ailing for an extended period, leaving him unable to work. The burden of providing for the family now rests entirely on Sandhya Rani, who toils as a daily wage laborer. However, her meager earnings barely suffice for basic needs, let alone for repairing their dilapidated house or affording Prafulla’s treatment.
“No one from the administration or the ruling leadership has come forward to address our plight. We’re still waiting, still hoping, but all we have received so far are empty words,” said Prafulla, his voice tinged with regret and frustration.
Over the years, the family has watched helplessly as their names were overlooked in government housing schemes. “We haven’t received a single ounce of government assistance,” Sandhyarani stated. She expressed disbelief at how a program meant for the most vulnerable sections of society had left them behind.
The broader implications of this case bring into question the reach and effectiveness of housing schemes across the state. How many more families like Prafulla’s are yet to benefit from these projects? In an election year, where government initiatives are paraded as success stories, this glaring omission speaks volumes.
As the family continues to live in their crumbling home, the community, too, looks on with sympathy but little means to help. Whether the administration will wake up to their plight or remain in “Deep Slumber” is indeed, as they say, “a question worth crores of rupees.”
