Many incidents of poverty, insensitivity and lack of empathy have surfaced during these times of crisis in the country. Another such incident has come to light.  

A 70-year-old woman from Odisha’s Nuapada district was seen dragging her 100-year-old bedridden mother on a cot to the nearby bank to withdraw pension money of Rs 1,500. 

Apparently, the bank wanted a physical verification of the 100-year-old beneficiary and refused to release the pension without it, thus the daughter had no option but to drag her mother in the scorching heat. 

After the incident took place, this woman who dragged her mother said, 

I went to the bank several times in last three months and requested the bank official to release the pension amount. However, the official informed that they would release the pension if I bring my mother to the branch. 

Netizens were stunned by this kind of apathy. 

However, Naupara’s district collector Madhusmita Sahoo, said that the woman took her mother to the bank despite the manager offering to visit their house the next day for verification.

As the bank is managed by a single person, it was difficult for the manager to go to the woman’s house the same day. However, the manager had assured her that he would visit the woman’s house the next day. Before he would visit, the woman had dragged her mother on a charpoy to the bank. 

Her mother is an account holder under Jan Dhan Yojana of the Central government. The Centre had announced Rs 500 monthly assistance for women Jan Dhan bank account holders from April to June keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation.