Patnagarh: Despite assurances by Odisha’s Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister, Nityananda Gond, that elderly beneficiaries would receive pensions at their doorstep, the harsh reality on the ground tells a different story.

In a distressing incident from Patamunda Panchayat in Balangir district, the differently-abled elderly woman, Surekha Nayak from Pandesara village under Patnagarh block, was forced to crawl for nearly two kilometers to collect her monthly pension from a kiosk center in Gudapadar. Local villagers eventually noticed her and gave her a ride on a tractor to help her reach the kiosk centre.

Surekha said this is not the first time she has endured such hardship. “Every month, I have to spend ₹300 to ₹400 on auto fares to collect the ₹1,000 pension. Sometimes I have to make multiple trips—three to four times in a month. How much do I have left to survive on after paying for travel?” she asked.

Locals allege that repeated appeals to the Block Development Officer (BDO) and the District Social Security Officer (DSSO) to arrange doorstep delivery of her pension have gone unanswered. “What is the use of a ‘double engine government’ if a differently-abled senior citizen has to crawl for kilometers to receive her rightful pension? There is also frequent delay in the disbursal,” said a local.

Surekha lives alone following the death of her husband and has no immediate family support.

Despite attempts, officials from the BDO and DSSO offices could not be reached for comment.

This is not an isolated case. In September last year, a 65-year-old woman from Raisuan gram panchayat in Keonjhar district also had to crawl nearly two kilometers to collect her pension. Following media coverage, the district administration intervened and arranged for doorstep delivery of both pension and ration supplies.

Earlier, SSEPD Minister Nityananda Gond had announced pensions under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana would be delivered directly to elderly beneficiaries at their homes. However, the ground-level execution of this promise appears to be lacking.