Waiting Elderly Eyes and Helpless System: Deprived of Pension for 7 Months, Seniors Struggle for Food in Bokaro

Bokaro: At a time when human beings need rest and support in the twilight of their age, dozens of elderly people in the Pchari North Panchayat of Petarwar block are standing on a long path of waiting for their pension. There is hope in the aged eyes, wrinkles on the face, and just one question on the tongue: when will we finally get our pension? Dozens of elderly beneficiaries of Pchari North Panchayat have not received their pension amounts for the last six to seven months. This small sum of pension is a major support for their medicine, ration, and daily needs. However, with payments stalled for months, the difficulties in their lives are constantly increasing. Troubled by the wait for their pension, the elderly reached out to Panchayat Head Kalpana Devi. Someone shared their medication woes, while another talked about the ration crisis. The beneficiaries say that due to non-receipt of pension for several months, they are forced to ask others for help. At this stage of life, when the body begins to fail and medicines become a part of life, the pension amount is not just government aid, but a lifeline. Beneficiaries stated that upon inquiring about the payment, they were told the funds were not released due to technical or administrative errors at the state level. But the question is, why should the burden of technical glitches fall on those elderly shoulders that have already endured all the hardships of life? Panchayat Head Kalpana Devi said that the pension of elderly, widow, and disabled beneficiaries is their right. Non-payment of pension for six to seven months is a matter of serious concern. She demanded that officials of the relevant department resolve the issue promptly and disburse the pending pension amounts to all beneficiaries. Currently, the wait in those old eyes continues. The wrinkles on their faces are deepening with each passing month, but the hope remains that someday the pension they rightfully deserve will reach their accounts.