70-year-old woman crawls 2 km to collect pension

Keonjhar: A 70-year-old woman in Keonjhar district was forced to crawl nearly 2 km from her home to the panchayat office to collect her old-age pension.The ailing woman, identified as Pathuri Dehury, a resident of Raisuan gram panchayat, cannot walk. A video of Dehury crawling on a village road has gone viral on social media.

Raisuan gram panchayat Sarpanch Bagun Champia said he drew the attention of the administration after watching the old woman crawling on the road on television news and seeing her pictures in newspapers. “I have also verified from the villagers that the woman is not able to walk properly due to herage-related aliment,” the Sarpanch said.

Though the State government had earlier issued a directive to officials to deliver the pension of elderly and disabled beneficiaries at their doorstep, Dehury said a panchayat official had asked her to visit the office to collect the monthly pension. The woman is 70 years old and had no other alternative to reach there, according to villagers.

The gram panchayat concerned is under Telkoi block in Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s home district Keonjhar.Telkoi Block Development Officer (BDO) Geeta Murmu said the old-age pension was earlier sent to Dehury’s bank account. However, as she became ill and expressed her inability to visit the bank, the local administration has started disbursing the pension by hand, she said.

Now, the Panchayat Extension Officer was asked to disburse the old-age pension to Dehury at her home each month. A wheelchair has also been provided to her, the BDO said.Raisuan Sarpanch said the Civil Supply Assistant will provide rations to Dehury at her doorstep.

The State government provides pension to 42 lakh elderly people under schemes like Madhu Babu Pension Yojana and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.