A viral video from Chhattisgarh shows a woman carrying her 90-year-old mother-in-law nearly 9 kms through forests and streams to collect pension money. Locals said physical verification rules forced the woman to appear in person despite poor transport. The video sparked outrage with many questioning welfare access and difficulties for villagers.
A painful video from Chhattisgarh has sparked widespread discussion online after showing a woman carrying her 90-year-old mother-in-law on her back through forests and rocky paths to collect pension money from a bank. The video was reported from the Mainpat region in Surguja district and has drawn attention to the daily struggles faced by people living in remote rural and tribal areas.
According to local residents, the woman, identified as Sukhmania Bai, walked nearly 9 kilometres carrying the elderly woman because there was no proper transport available in the area, reported India Today.
The visuals show her moving through rough forest paths, stones and streams under the hot sun while carrying the elderly woman on her back.
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Pension linked to physical verification
Residents said the elderly woman had to be physically present at the bank for fingerprint or identity verification before the pension amount could be released.
Locals claimed that because of these rules, Sukhmania Bai has been making similar difficult journeys for several months. During the video, a man recording the scene asks her in the local dialect why she is carrying her mother-in-law over such a long distance.
Replying to him, the woman explains that the pension money is only given when the elderly beneficiary is brought to the bank in person.
She also says there is no transport service in the village area and the route involves crossing streams and difficult forest roads.
Family receives around Rs 1,500 pension
During the conversation heard in the viral clip, the woman says the family receives around Rs 1,500 as pension money. She also mentions that sometimes payments for several months are released together.
Sukhmania Bai further says that earlier, pension payments were either delivered locally or were easier for villagers to access. However, according to her, that arrangement is no longer working properly.
As a result, families are now forced to travel long distances just to collect welfare payments meant for elderly people.
Social media reacts strongly
After the video spread online, many social media users expressed sadness and anger over the situation. Several people questioned why very old and bedridden pensioners in remote villages are still required to travel physically for verification despite repeated claims about Digital India services and doorstep welfare delivery.
Some users said the video reflects the large gap between government announcements and the reality faced by people in forest and tribal regions.
Others pointed out that difficult roads, lack of transport and weak infrastructure continue to create serious problems for villagers trying to access to face hardship while trying to access basic government benefits.
The emotional visuals of Sukhmania Bai carrying her elderly mother-in-law across forests and streams have left many people asking whether welfare systems are truly reaching those who need them most.
