No end to plight of elderly pensioners! Octogenarian walks miles on ghat road for allowance

It seems there is no end to the plight of elderly pensioners in the State with several reports of their struggle to receive allowance due to the alleged apathy of the concerned department officials coming to the fore at frequent intervals.

In a glaring example of such apathy, one Bari Dehuri of Toda village under Kalta Panchayat in Sundargarh district, who is in her 80s, has to walk at least four kilometers through ghat roads every month to collect her pension.

As if walking long distances through the ghat roads with the help of a stick is not enough, Bari waits for hours in a long queue to get her pension, sources informed.

At a time when the government is making tall claims of ensuring all necessary arrangements for the smooth distribution of pension to elderly beneficiaries, the story of Bari speaks volumes to the contrary.

“I cannot see and hear properly. I am struggling a lot to collect the pension. So, I request to make necessary arrangements so that I can get it at my doorstep,” demanded Bari.

When asked about the incident, the concerned official avoided the question and chose to stay off-camera. 

“I am not the authority. BDO can tell about this,” said Pankaj Samad, an official engaged to distribute pension.

On the other hand, the block chairman expressed displeasure over the matter and said he will bring it to the notice of the Block Development Officer (BDO) and Sub Collector.

Commenting on the development, Koida block chairman, Suresh Naik said, “Braving all odds, beneficiaries walk miles to collect their pension. I will request the government to address the issue.”