Patnagarh: Despite assurances by Odisha’s Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister, Nityananda Gond, that elderly beneficiaries would receive pensions at their doorstep, the harsh reality on the ground tells a different story. In a distressing incident from Patamunda Panchayat in Balangir district, the differently-abled elderly woman, Surekha Nayak from Pandesara village under Patnagarh block, was forced to crawl for nearly two kilometers to collect her monthly pension from a kiosk center in Gudapadar. Local villagers eventually noticed her and gave her a ride on a tractor to help her reach the kiosk centre. Surekha said this is not the first time she has endured such hardship. “Every month, I have to spend ₹300 to ₹400 on auto fares to collect the ₹1,000 pension. Sometimes I have to make multiple trips—three to four times in a month. How much do I have left to survive on after paying for travel?” she asked. Locals allege that repeated appeals to the Block Development Officer (BDO) and the District Social Security Officer (DSSO) to arrange doorstep delivery of her pension have gone unanswered. “What is the use of a ‘double engine government’ if a differently-abled senior citizen has to crawl for kilometers to receive her rightful pension? There is also frequent delay in the disbursal,” said a local.
Odisha: Differently-abled elderly woman crawls for kilometres to collect pension despite Govt promises
