Dozens of widowed and specially-abled women from Bihora Gaon Panchayat, under the Bokakhat West Development Block, staged a protest on Monday, expressing anger over being excluded from multiple government welfare schemes.
The women alleged that despite being eligible, they were deprived of benefits under major social welfare programs, including the Orunodoi Scheme, Widow Pension, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). “We see nothing coming our way — no Orunodoi benefits, no housing, no pension,” lamented several protesters, many of whom are daily wage tea garden workers who had taken leave to join the demonstration.
Protesters from Ward Nos. 2 and 3 accused the verification committee of negligence, claiming that deserving beneficiaries were removed from the government scheme lists due to flawed verification processes. Villagers also raised concerns that family members of already-benefited individuals have reappeared in PMAY housing lists, while genuinely needy women remain excluded. 
The aggrieved women submitted a written memorandum to officials of the Golaghat West Development Block, demanding an immediate investigation and rectification of the alleged irregularities. They demanded the administration to ensure fair inclusion of all eligible widows and differently-abled women in government welfare programs.
