Bhubaneswar, June 13 -- The government is not short of welfare schemes. Housing for the poor, pensions for the elderly, assistance for persons with disabilities, and several other support measures exist on paper. But when the gap between policy and reality widens, stories like that of Japa Bhue emerge.

Born blind, Japa Bhue lives with his elderly mother in a fragile condition. The family has not received a permanent house or adequate government support. From Bagadia village under Binika block in Subarnapur district, their life reflects deep hardship and neglect.

Life Inside a Dilapidated Shelter

Fifty-six-year-old Japa Bhue has been blind since birth and has never seen the world around him. For him, day and night is the same darkness. ...