Activists demanded a robust mechanism to protect vulnerable sections of society on Saturday (July 18, 2026) after a woman reportedly ended her life following the stoppage of the pension she was receiving from the government in Odisha.Activists belonging to four different organisations visited Ganjam district after concerns were raised over the death of 67-year-old widow B. Sabitri Dora, a resident of Chadhiapada village under Mardakote Gram Panchayat in Beguniapada Block, who was deprived of pension for three consecutive months. They brought out a report on the facts surrounding the elderly pensioner’s death.“In between April to June, social security pension was stopped for beneficiaries under the National Social Assistance Programme [NSAP] supported by the Centre. It affected approximately 20 lakh pension holders, primarily receiving pensions related to old age, widowhood, and disability,” Samit Panda, convener of the Odisha Right to Food Campaign, said.The State government attributed the failure in transferring benefits to technical glitches and software problems in the digital payment portal used to process Direct Benefit Transfer payments, specifically the integration of the SNA (Single Nodal Agency)-SPARSH platform through which NSAP pensions are routed, Mr. Panda said.Activists, however, alleged that non-payment of social security pensions for three months, administrative negligence, the complete failure of the digital payment system, and the absence of an effective grievance redressal mechanism had pushed lakhs of needy people to the brink.Sabitri Dora’s death was caused by the absence of any means to survive, they said.The fact-finding report says Sabitri Dora, an elderly widow living alone, depended primarily on the monthly widow’s pension of ₹1,000 provided by the government and the subsidised food grains received through the Public Distribution System.“However, her pension remained unpaid from April to June 2026, pushing her into severe financial hardship and mental distress. During the investigation, it was found that Sabitri Dora repeatedly visited the Gram Panchayat Office, the Block Office, and the bank in attempts to receive her pension,” Sricharan Behera from the Campaign for Survival with Dignity said.“At every stage, she [Sabitri Dora] was merely asked to wait or was informed that the delay was due to technical problems in the digital payment system,” Rakshi Ghosh, a journalist, said.“No immediate effort was made to resolve her grievance. The report observes that despite her age, vulnerability, and solitary living condition, the administration failed to appreciate the serious impact that such prolonged delays could have on her survival,” Ms. Ghosh said.The report describes this as a grave failure of the administration to discharge its humanitarian responsibilities.Sabitri Dora’s case was not an isolated tragedy but reflected a much larger systemic crisis, according to activists.They said the State government itself acknowledged that the delays were caused by technical failures in the digital payment portal.“However, the greater failure lay not merely in the malfunctioning of the digital system but in the complete absence of any alternative mechanism. If elderly persons, widows, or persons with disabilities are unable to receive their pensions due to technical failures, immediate alternative arrangements such as cash disbursement or manual payment should have been put in place. No such contingency mechanism existed,” the report said.Activists allege that only after Sabitri Dora’s death received widespread public attention did the State government release the pending pensions. Published - July 18, 2026 10:09 pm IST