Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday claimed to have worked for the welfare of the marginalised Musahar community in Kushinagar district and provided Antyodaya cards (for subsidised food scheme) to 9,336 families and ration cards to 1,078 families. Musahars earlier used to survive by catching rats.

The Yogi Adityanath government claimed previous administrations had ignored the 10,414 Musahar families living in the district’s 138 gram sabhas, causing the community to suffer hunger, malnutrition and various illnesses. The government said the community was now receiving the benefits of several schemes, and getting rice, wheat and gram through the public distribution system.

According to data provided by the state information department, 7,894 houses have been built under PM Awas Yojana (Rural) in 10 Musahar-dominated development blocks in the district. An additional 2,572 houses have been built as part of the Chief Minister Awas Yojana. The community had been made aware of the importance of cleanliness and 10,159 families were provided with toilets, the government claimed.

“To provide them livelihood, 10,320 Musahars have been provided job cards under the MNREGA scheme and the chief minister has issued strict directions to provide them timely employment. The work of providing them pension is also speeding up. So far 1,297 of them are receiving old-age pension and 180 are getting differently abled pension. Along with houses, land, toilets, electricity, fuel, drinking water, ration card and employment, the children of Musahar community are now going to schools too,” read a government statement.

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