In a shocking incident from Odisha, a 70-year-old woman was seen walking barefoot for several kilometres only to collect her pension from a bank. According to a video which has gone viral on social media, the frail woman can be seen walking barefoot in scorching heat with the support of a broken chair.
The incident happened in the Jharigaon block of Nabrangpur district of Odisha on April 17 (Monday).
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, sharing the video, hauled up State Bank of India (SBI) for the plight of the woman.
Can see the manager of the @TheOfficialSBI responding but yet wish @DFS_India and @TheOfficialSBI take cognisance of this and act humanely. Are they no bank Mitra? @FinMinIndia https://t.co/a9MdVizHim
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) April 20, 2023
As per reports, one Surya Harijan had walked several kilometers barefoot with the support of a broken chair to reach the Jharigaon Branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) in order to receive her pension.
Earlier, she used to withdraw her pension from the CSP point in her village, every month. Later, her fingerprints stopped matching at the CSP point due to old age.
As the clip came to fore, the Finance Minister directed SBI to provide help to the woman.
Subsequently, the bank made necessary arrangements for her.
Later, SBI officials replied to FM Sitharaman’s tweet and said that from next month onwards the pension will be delivered at her doorstep.
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Madam, we are equally pained to see this video. Smt Surya Harijan in the video used to withdraw her old age pension from the CSP point situated in her village every month. Due to old age, her finger prints were not matching at the CSP point.— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) April 20, 2023