Woman Carries Mother-In-Law, 90, On Back, Walks For Miles Over Rs 500 Pension

A woman in her mid-fifties is trudging a road, carrying her 90-year-old mother-in-law on her shoulders. The two women brave the scorching heat, burning concrete, and the risk of heatstroke, but walk on. Their goal: the elderly woman's paltry monthly pension of Rs 500.

The heartrending video from Chhattisgarh's Surguja district highlights the daily hardships the weakest sections of society face to secure what is owed to them.

The two women risked their lives because the elderly woman hadn't received her pension for four months, as her KYC (Know Your Customer) formalities were incomplete.

The woman who carried her mother-in-law was identified as Sukhmaniya, who is in her late 50s.

Sukhmaniya, a resident of Jangalpara village in the Kunia area, travelled several kilometres to reach the Central Bank of India branch in Mainpat town on foot. A passerby recorded their ordeal on camera.

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She told the person recording the video that an official, Bank Mitra, would deliver her monthly pension to her home. However, in the absence of the KYC formalities, her mother-in-law was deprived of the pension.

मैनपाट के कुनिया जंगलपारा में 90 साल की सास को हर महीने 9 किलोमीटर पीठ पर ढोकर बैंक ले जाती बहू…
ये सिर्फ तस्वीर नहीं, “सुशासन” के दावों पर बड़ा सवाल है।
एक तरफ बहू का समर्पण, दूसरी तरफ व्यवस्था की संवेदनहीनता।@vishnudsai #mainpat #PensionStruggle #BankRules #व्यवस्था_पर_सवाल pic.twitter.com/VwRyc8xfif

— Archna parganiha (@archana2098) May 23, 2026

Pension Received

Mainpat Janpad Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Khushboo Shastri admitted that her pension had been stopped because of incomplete documentation.

"In January, the pension was delivered at her home for the last time. The service was stopped over the past four months due to pending KYC formalities," she told PTI.

She said the woman had reached the bank branch carrying her mother-in-law on her back. After the KYC formalities were completed at the branch, the bank immediately released the pending pension amount of Rs 2,000.

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The official, however, promised the women that they would get the pension at their doorstep from next month.

"From next month onwards, Sukhmaniya's mother-in-law will again receive the pension amount at her home," she told the agency.

Former deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo criticised the government for the lapse. He said politicians, who go to people's houses to appeal for votes, must also ensure that pensions of the elderly people of the state are delivered to their homes.