In a scene of unimaginable hardship, 77-year-old Girijamma, a physically challenged resident of Harihar taluk, Davanagere, crawled for 2 kilometres to a post office. Her desperate mission? To plead for her unpaid pension, allegedly stopped without explanation.
The elderly woman undertook this arduous journey to inquire about the status of her unpaid pension, which she claimed had been abruptly halted. The distressing incident raises questions about the plight of the elderly and differently-abled individuals in India, shedding light on the challenges they face in accessing essential services and their struggle for basic rights.
This heart-wrenching incident spotlights the stark realities faced by many elderly and differently-abled individuals in India. Girijamma’s struggle to access her rightful dues exposes the cracks in a system meant to support its most vulnerable citizens.
Girijamma, a 77-year-old woman without children, found herself in a dire situation as her family pension payments abruptly ceased. Solely dependent on this pension for her livelihood, Girijamma, residing in Harihar taluk, Karnataka, decided to take matters into her own hands.
Lacking assistance to address her concerns with the postal department, she undertook a challenging journey, crawling over 2 kilometres to the Kunibelekere village post office. The elderly woman, grappling with physical challenges, hoped that officials would empathise with her situation and provide information about her pending pension arrears. Girijamma revealed, “I was supposed to receive a Rs 10,000 pension every month, but it never came to me for the past two months.” Struggling with financial constraints, she resorted to this distressing measure when unable to afford transportation.
పింఛన్ కోసం..బామ్మ కష్టాలు..
కర్ణాటకలోని దావణగెరె జిల్లాలో ఓ బామ్మకి జీవనాధారమైన పింఛను డబ్బు 2నెలలుగా రాలేదు. అడిగితే పోస్టుమాన్ విసుక్కుంటున్నాడు.
దీంతో రోడ్డుపై దేకుతూ 8 గంటల పాటు ప్రయాణించి 2 కిలోమీటర్ల దూరంలోని పోస్టాఫీసుకు చేరుకుందా పెద్దావిడ. దాని వల్ల కాళ్లంతా… pic.twitter.com/T1799IIpGF
— Telugu Scribe (@TeluguScribe) January 11, 2024
The heartbreaking footage displayed the toll on her feet, resulting in blisters and injuries. The incident occurred two weeks ago but gained widespread attention when the video went viral on social media.
The public outcry compelled village panchayat officials to intervene. Responding to the urgency, compassionate individuals took Girijamma to the hospital for treatment, addressing the physical toll she endured during her arduous journey.
This heartbreaking incident echoes a similar episode from March 2016, where another elderly woman named Rudana, aged 65, had to resort to crawling to the Athmallik panchayat office in the Angul district of Odisha. Abandoned by her family, Rudana, left alone and unsupported, navigated across NH-55 to collect her monthly pension of Rs300. Despite her pleas, the administration made no efforts to facilitate the home delivery of her pension.
Athmallik Sub-Collector Amulya Panda stated, “There is no provision to deliver pension at the doorstep if there are legal heirs. We will find out if anybody can collect the money on her behalf.” The case highlights a concerning pattern where vulnerable elderly individuals are compelled to undertake undignified measures to access their essential pension funds, revealing a need for systemic improvements in pension distribution.
The image of a frail woman forced to crawl for basic rights raises stark questions about the state of empathy and social safety nets in the country.
