Challenges Faced by Elderly Tribal Communities in Rolugunta Mandal: Accessing Pension Funds

Elderly individuals belonging to Non-Scheduled Tribal communities residing in tribal villages in the Rolugunta mandal of the Anakapalle district are encountering challenges in accessing their pension funds. These seniors are compelled to journey long distances to neighboring gram panchayats to collect their pensions due to substandard road infrastructure and a lack of organized distribution services. A recent incident has shed light on the seriousness of the situation. Gamemila Apparao, an octogenarian from the Koruprolu PVTG Kondu tribal village in the MK Patnam Panchayat, had to be transported by ‘doli’ to the M.K. Patnam secretariat because of illness. Apparao highlighted the hardships caused by inadequate roads for elderly travel and expressed disappointment over the absence of government officials visiting their residences for pension disbursement. This issue extends beyond Apparao as numerous other elderly residents in the area, who are also in frail health, confront similar obstacles. They rely on the younger generation for aid and support. Despite the hurdles, a couple of elderly individuals like Apparao managed to obtain their pensions, albeit through arduous means. Apart from pensions, basic necessities like subsidized rice and medications can only be accessed after a round trip of six kilometers. The community, including individuals such as Apparao, is calling upon authorities to display compassion towards the elderly and implement measures to ensure pensions and essential provisions are delivered to their homes. They emphasize the urgent requirement for governmental intervention to alleviate these adversities.