A moving incident from the remote Manpat region of Chhattisgarh has brought renewed attention to the hardships faced by elderly pension beneficiaries in rural areas. A woman was seen carrying her 90-year-old mother-in-law on her back for nearly six kilometres through rough forest terrain to a bank so that the elderly woman could receive her monthly old-age pension of Rs 500. The incident, captured on video by local youths and widely shared on social media, has sparked criticism over the difficulties faced by senior citizens in accessing welfare benefits. The elderly woman, identified as Somari Bai of Junglepara in Kuniya village under Manpat development block, is unable to walk because of old age and illness.

 

According to family members, she receives Rs 500 per month under the old-age pension scheme. However, recent banking requirements mandating biometric fingerprint verification have made it necessary for her to appear physically at the bank. Her daughter-in-law, Sukhmania Bai, said the nearest bank is located in Narmadapur, around six kilometres from their village. With no transport facility available and the family’s financial condition remaining weak, she has no option but to carry the elderly woman on her back each month.

 

The journey involves crossing uneven pathways, forest stretches and seasonal streams, making the task even more difficult. “Earlier, the pension amount used to reach the village itself, but now fingerprint verification at the bank has become compulsory,” Sukhmania Bai said. The viral video has triggered widespread reactions online, with many questioning the lack of special arrangements for elderly and bedridden beneficiaries in remote villages. Local residents have demanded doorstep banking facilities or exemption from mandatory physical verification for senior citizens who are unable to travel. They said the present system is causing unnecessary hardship to vulnerable beneficiaries for a meagre pension amount. The incident has once again highlighted the gap between welfare schemes and their implementation in inaccessible rural regions, where beneficiaries often struggle to access even basic government assistance.