Bhawanipatna: In a shocking incident, an 80-year-old frail-looking woman had to walk for over five kilometre to get Rs 500 oldage pension in this grueling summer due to lack of banking facilities at her village in Kalahandi district, Wednesday.
A video of the woman identified as Pitabati Pali, a native of Kulerguda village under Koksara block, walking to the bank went viral on social media platforms. In the video, the woman was seen walking with the help of a stick to withdraw Rs 500 pension money to Temera mini bank which is about five kilometre from her village. She was seen walking on the hot rocky road braving the blistering summer heat.
Passersby grew curious seeing the elderly woman walking, stopped her and asked her a few questions while shooting a video. In her reply, she says that she is walking to the Temera mini bank to withdraw her pension money of Rs 500.
She said previously the pension money was paid to them through the local panchayat office. However, it has become an arduous task for pensioners like her to get the money after the state government started paying it online through banks.
Left with no option, she is on her way to the bank to withdraw the pension, she added.
Recently, a video showing Surya Harijan of Jharigaon in Nabarangpur struggling to reach her bank barefoot with the support of a broken plastic chair went viral on social media. The video attracted the notice of Finance Minister Sitharaman who immediately directed the SBI to provide her with all help.
Following the condemnation of Sitharaman, the SBI authorities scurried to provide all help to the old lady. It remains to be seen if this similar case attracts the attention of the higher-ups and makes Pitabati’s life any easier.
PNN
