Unacceptable Wait For Widow Pension
Channel: VideoVolunteers
Date: 2013-12-19

VV-PACS Community Correspondent Shabnam Begum from Varanasi district reports on how government attempts to target the pensions to poor widows has been ineffective.

Widowhood in India is often described as a definitive and tragic moment in a woman's life.  There are about 50-60 widows in Harpur Seerpur village, Varanasi district in U.P who haven't got the benefit of widow pension scheme.

"I do dusting, mop floors and other household chores. This is how I am able to earn 400-500 rupees a month to take care of my 5 children" says Malti Devi. "Two years back I had submitted an application also but till now I haven't received even a single Rupee" adds Malti Devi.

The government pension of three hundred rupees per month is too little and often administrative difficulties in availing of it only add to the woes of these women. Even though the government has done away with the requirement for widows to present themselves before two gazetted officers to verify their status for getting widow pension in certain cases, the problem of middlemen taking away all the money still exists. 

Call to Action: You can call Miss Urmila, M.L.A,Varanasi on 09794093772 and pressurize her to hold an enquiry and help these women in getting the benefit of Widows' pension scheme.

About the Partnership: The Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Programme and Video Volunteers have come together to create the Community Correspondents Network. The videos generated by the network will be able to highlight voices from the margins, providing skills to social communicators to provide advocacy tools to community based organizations.