80-year-old blind woman's pension, stopped for 5 years in Jalore, restored after Collector's direct intervention and order for other benefits.
80-year-old Koku Devi, a resident of Jetpura village in Ahore tehsil, had come to the District Collectorate to plead for her stopped pension.
Due to old age and physical disability, she was unable to walk properly and was dragging herself on the ground to move forward.
Seeing her condition, a security guard at the collectorate, Chainaram, showed humanity and seated her in a wheelchair.
The guard assisted her to the chamber of District Collector Dr. Pradeep K. Gawande, which opened the way for the resolution of her problem.
Koku Devi's widowed daughter, Nathudevi, described their ordeal, stating that her mother's pension was stopped about five years ago.
The reason was that her mother's fingerprints were not clear during the biometric verification process.
Since then, the family has been making rounds of the Ahore SDM office and tehsil, but they only received assurances.
Nathudevi explained that the family has faced immense hardship. Her father passed away 20 years ago, and later, both her brothers also died.
Now, only women and a granddaughter are left in the family, for whom earning a livelihood has become a major challenge.
As soon as District Collector Dr. Pradeep K. Gawande was informed of the elderly woman's arrival, he himself came out of his chamber.
He patiently listened to Koku Devi's entire story in the gallery and understood her plight.
The Collector immediately summoned officials from the Social Justice and Empowerment Department to the spot.
He gave clear instructions to the officials to restart Koku Devi's stopped pension with immediate effect.
Furthermore, he ordered the preparation of pending documents on a priority basis and to provide her with benefits from all eligible government schemes, including the housing scheme.
Collector Dr. Pradeep K. Gawande said, "The matter has been resolved. Clear instructions have been given to the officials to start the elderly woman's pension soon. Also, in the future, ensure that senior citizens' problems are heard on priority and resolved immediately."
This swift and humane action by the District Collector has not only brought great relief to Koku Devi's family but also sets an excellent example of good governance and administrative sensitivity. This step has further strengthened the public's faith in the government system.
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