A woman in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district was forced to carry her 90-year-old mother-in-law on her back for nearly three kilometres in scorching heat after bank officials allegedly insisted the elderly woman appear in person to complete pension verification formalities. The incident, which reportedly took place on Friday in the Mainpat development block, drew nationwide outrage after a passerby's video of the ordeal went viral the following day.

What Happened

The woman, identified as Sukhmaniya, a resident of Jangalpara village in the Kunia area of Surguja, said she had no choice but to physically transport her elderly mother-in-law to the Central Bank of India branch in Mainpat town. According to Sukhmaniya, the pension had been withheld for four months because the elderly woman's KYC verification remained incomplete.

'I was not receiving the money, so I carried her there. I had to carry her on my back because the work was not getting done otherwise. The bank officials said that I had to bring her in person; only then would the work be completed. They specifically asked me to bring her,' Sukhmaniya said.

The Pension at Stake

The monthly pension amount in question was ₹500 — a sum that, while modest, represents a critical lifeline for elderly beneficiaries in remote, economically marginalised communities. Sukhmaniya, believed to be in her late 50s, undertook the gruelling journey despite burning roads, extreme temperatures, and the risk of heatstroke, determined to secure the overdue payment for her mother-in-law.

Public Outrage and Systemic Questions

The viral video triggered a wave of criticism on social media, with users questioning why elderly and immobile pensioners in remote areas are still required to physically appear for KYC verification. The incident has been widely cited as evidence of a glaring disconnect between the government's Digital India commitments and the ground reality faced by vulnerable welfare beneficiaries.

Notably, this is not an isolated case. Elderly pensioners across rural India have repeatedly been reported to face bureaucratic hurdles — including mandatory in-person visits — despite the existence of doorstep banking and digital verification frameworks that are supposed to eliminate such requirements. Critics argue that implementation remains deeply uneven, particularly in tribal and hilly districts like Surguja.

Accountability and What Needs to Change

Many users and civil society voices have called for greater accountability from bank branches handling welfare disbursements, and for authorities to enforce existing provisions for home-based KYC verification for senior citizens who are physically incapacitated. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Centre have previously issued guidelines allowing doorstep banking for elderly and differently-abled customers, though compliance at the branch level reportedly remains inconsistent.

As the video continues to circulate, pressure is mounting on district authorities in Surguja and the state government to investigate the specific bank branch's conduct and ensure that no pensioner is made to undertake such an ordeal again.