‘Whenever I Go to the Bank, I Am Told that the Machine is Not Functioning’

Q: The government had promised free ration during the lockdown. Were you getting it?

Beneficiary: We have five members in the family. Each of us was being provided with 5 kgs of ration, so our family did receive 25 kgs of ration in total.

Q: Did you receive Rs. 1,000 in your bank account as promised under a government scheme?

Beneficiary: Whenever I go to the bank, I am told that the machine is not functioning right now, and so the passbook cannot be updated. I have also not received any text message on my phone. As of now, I will not be able to tell if I have received the Rs. 1,000.

Q: Are you facing any problems while getting ration via the Public Distribution System?

Beneficiary: The problem is that people are not scared of COVID-19 anymore! They gather in large numbers to collect ration, and there is a tussle to get ration amid the crowd. They don’t listen even if one tries to explain.

This interview was conducted with Beneficiary in Gaya (Bakraur), Bihar in Hindi on 27 October 2020, and has been translated.