Elderly woman crawls long distance to collect pension in Odisha

A bizarre incident has come to light from Phatamunda panchayat under Patnagarh block in Odisha’s Bolangir district, where an elderly woman was seen crawling to collect her old age pension due to a lack of transportation, sources said on Sunday.

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The beneficiary, identified as Surekha Naik from Pandesara village, was spotted by some locals yesterday while she was dragging herself on the road to reach the location where pension money was being distributed.

Despite receiving a monthly old-age pension of Rs 1000, she often spends Rs 200 on an auto-rickshaw to collect it every month.

However, on that particular day, she couldn’t find any vehicle to hire and was left with no other choice than to crawl to cover the long distance.

Local admin's apathy alleged

Seeing Surekha Naik’s distressing condition, the locals helped her by giving her a ride back home on a tractor. They decried the alleged apathetic attitude of the local administration towards her plight.

When questioned, the local Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) stated that the issue of how elderly beneficiaries like Surekha will receive their monthly pension money has already been communicated to the block office.

“I had earlier reported the matter to the block higher-ups, mentioning her name. Now, it is not in my hands. Better you ask there,” Phatamunda PEO Dukhita Bag said to OTV.

This incident has raised serious questions about accessibility, dignity, and the efficiency of pension disbursement mechanisms in rural areas, especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly, chronic patients, and physically challenged persons.

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Notably, the elderly woman collects her old-age pension every month from a bank at Pudapadar village, located more than two kilometers away from her house.

A leg of Surekha Naik is deformed, and she is unable to walk.