A video from Surguja district in Chhattisgarh has gone viral, showing a woman carrying her 90-year-old mother-in-law on her back for several kilometres in extreme heat to complete pension-related formalities.

The woman, identified as Sukhmaniya, said she was compelled to take the difficult journey after being told by bank officials that the pension work would only be processed if the elderly beneficiary was brought in person. She claimed the bank insisted on physical presence despite the woman’s inability to travel.

“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 I had to bring her in person; only then would the work be completed,” Sukhmaniya said.

The incident is reported to have occurred on Friday in the Mainpat development block, with the woman travelling nearly three kilometres on foot to reach a branch of the Central Bank of India in Mainpat.

According to reports, the elderly woman had not received her monthly pension of ₹500 for the past four months due to incomplete KYC verification.

Sukhmaniya, a resident of Jangalpara village in the Kunia area and believed to be in her late 50s, said she had no option but to make the journey to ensure the pension process was completed.

The video, recorded by a passerby a day after the incident, quickly spread across social media, sparking widespread criticism and debate. Many users questioned why elderly and immobile pensioners in remote regions are still required to appear physically for verification despite digital service initiatives and welfare delivery reforms.

The incident has also renewed concerns about accessibility and sensitivity in public service systems, particularly for senior citizens in rural and remote areas.