A heart-wrenching incident from Odisha has drawn national attention after a 70-year-old woman, Pathuri Dehury, was forced to crawl nearly two kilometers to collect her old-age pension. The incident occurred in Keonjhar district, where Dehury, unable to walk due to age-related ailments, was reportedly instructed by a local panchayat official to physically collect her pension at the office. Despite government directives mandating the doorstep delivery of pensions for elderly and disabled individuals, Dehury was compelled to make the arduous journey.
STORY | 70-year-old woman crawls 2 km to collect pension in Odisha
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A video of the elderly woman crawling along a village road quickly went viral, sparking widespread outrage over the inefficiency of local administration. The situation worsened because Dehury, who relies heavily on the pension for her survival, had no one to assist her in visiting the office.
Following public outcry, local authorities, including the Telkoi Block Development Officer (BDO), stepped in. They announced that Dehury would now receive her pension at home, and a wheelchair was provided to her. Officials also confirmed that her ration supplies would be delivered to her doorstep in the future to prevent such incidents from recurring.
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This shocking event highlights the ongoing struggles faced by vulnerable sections of society in accessing basic entitlements, despite the existence of welfare schemes like the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana and the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme. The state’s failure to fully implement these schemes has raised questions about the accountability of local officials and the need for systemic improvements to ensure no one is left behind.