By: Sanjeev Devasia Date: 2010-10-07 Place: Mumba
First UID cardholder from Tembli village in Nandurbar district is unsure what govt schemes she can avail of with the card; hopes it will help her find employment
Almost a week after the Unique Identity (UID) cards were launched with much fanfare in tribal dominated village Tembli in Nandurbar district, the first card recipient stares at an uncertain future.
Ranjana Sonavne (40) hopes she will get employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, as she is a cardholder now.
Almost a week after the Unique Identity (UID) cards were launched with much fanfare in tribal dominated village Tembli in Nandurbar district, the first card recipient stares at an uncertain future.
Ranjana Sonavne (40) hopes she will get employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, as she is a cardholder now.
Ranjana Sadashiv Sonavne, who is the first recipient of the UID card
in Tembli village of Nandurbar district, shows off her card yesterday
Sonavne, who is a daily wage labourer in farms, and has been struggling to get work for the last few days, believes that it was the UID card that got her 75 kg rice and 30 kg wheat, three-month's quota in advance.
"We used to get just 25 kg rice and 10 kg wheat every month after much haggling. Now they will give everything in advance, which will solve some of our problems," said Sonavne.
Helpful card
"Officials told us that the card will help us in opening bank accounts, at health centers and also help us avail various government schemes. They even said it will help admitting my child to school."
She hopes to get work under the employment guarantee scheme where she'll be paid Rs 150 per day for eight hours of work. Right now she doesn't have any work and her husband earns only Rs 50 per day.
Sonavne is not the only cardholder in Tembli village who has several misconceptions and hopes from the card.
"We were told that all our official work would be carried out with the help of the card.
But we do not have any idea of the exact benefits of the card, somebody should tell us that," said Sunanda Thakre, a worker at the Health Center, who is also a recipient of the card.
Benefits
Kailash Marathe is similarly perplexed about the utility of the card. "My father, who had gone to work in Saurashtra, came back to the village to get the card made and went back again.
"We used to get just 25 kg rice and 10 kg wheat every month after much haggling. Now they will give everything in advance, which will solve some of our problems," said Sonavne.
Helpful card
"Officials told us that the card will help us in opening bank accounts, at health centers and also help us avail various government schemes. They even said it will help admitting my child to school."
She hopes to get work under the employment guarantee scheme where she'll be paid Rs 150 per day for eight hours of work. Right now she doesn't have any work and her husband earns only Rs 50 per day.
Sonavne is not the only cardholder in Tembli village who has several misconceptions and hopes from the card.
"We were told that all our official work would be carried out with the help of the card.
But we do not have any idea of the exact benefits of the card, somebody should tell us that," said Sunanda Thakre, a worker at the Health Center, who is also a recipient of the card.
Benefits
Kailash Marathe is similarly perplexed about the utility of the card. "My father, who had gone to work in Saurashtra, came back to the village to get the card made and went back again.
Jalobai Thakre admires the newly installed electric metre outside
her housein Tembli village of Nandurbar district
We were told that the card would help us become beneficiaries of government schemes. But we are unaware of these schemes," said Marathe.
Though unaware of the cards' benefits, all villagers are hoping that goodies will follow the UID card.
Hunt for Jobs
Even before a week could pass after the launch of the UID cards at Tembli village, scores of villagers who have received the cards have relocated to Saurashtra in search of a livelihood.
"There we get Rs 200 per day and we also get a free meal every day.
Therefore my family members have shifted to Saurashtra and will now come back only in April," said Anita Atmaram Nigude whose family has left the village.
Though unaware of the cards' benefits, all villagers are hoping that goodies will follow the UID card.
Hunt for Jobs
Even before a week could pass after the launch of the UID cards at Tembli village, scores of villagers who have received the cards have relocated to Saurashtra in search of a livelihood.
"There we get Rs 200 per day and we also get a free meal every day.
Therefore my family members have shifted to Saurashtra and will now come back only in April," said Anita Atmaram Nigude whose family has left the village.