Condition of CM Mohan Charan Majhi's home district, elderly disabled woman walked 2 km on her knees for pension

Keonjhar : A shameful case of irresponsible attitude of government officials has come to light in Keonjhar district of Odisha. The incident is from Raisuan Gram Panchayat of Keonjhar district where a 70-year-old, sick and disabled woman had to crawl on her knees for two kilometers from her house to the Panchayat office to get her old age pension. The surprising thing is that the woman was asked to go to the office for pension by a Panchayat officer. Such an incident has come to light from Keonjhar even though it is the home district of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The ailing elderly woman has been identified as Pathuri Dehuri, a resident of Raisuan Gram Panchayat and is unable to walk. A video of Dehuri crawling on the village road has also gone viral on social media. Raisuan Gram Panchayat Sarpanch Bagun Champiya said that he drew the attention of the administration after seeing the news of the elderly woman crawling on the road on television and her pictures in newspapers. The Sarpanch said, “I have also found out from the villagers that the woman is unable to walk properly due to her age-related illness.”

The officer asked him to go to the office for pension

The state government had earlier directed officials to deliver pensions to elderly and disabled beneficiaries at their homes. Despite these instructions, this incident took place in Keonjhar. Dehuri, a 70-year-old and ailing woman, said that a panchayat official had asked her to go to the office to collect her monthly pension and hence she had to crawl on her knees to reach there on Saturday.

Keonjhar is the home district of the Chief Minister

According to villagers, the woman is 70 years old and had no other option to reach there. The concerned gram panchayat falls under Telkoi block in Keonjhar, the home district of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Telkoi Block Development Officer (BDO) Geeta Murmu told PTI that the old age pension was earlier sent to Dehuri's bank account. However, when Dehuri fell ill and expressed her inability to go to the bank, the local administration started paying her the pension at her home.

Now you will pay your pension after going home

According to (BDO) Geeta Murmu, now the Panchayat Officer has been asked to visit Dehuri's house every month to pay old age pension. She said that he has also been provided a wheelchair. The Sarpanch of Raisuan said that the civil supply assistant will provide ration to Dehuri at his home. It is worth mentioning that the Odisha government provides pension to 42 lakh elderly people under schemes like Madhu Babu Pension Yojana and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.

(With agency input)