People present their pleas before district magistrate Sanjay Singh’s at his janata darbar in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Aug. 18: Thirty-year-old Kaari Devi, alias Shiela Devi, lost her husband in a road accident in February this year. Today, she turned up at the district magistrate’s janata darbar with the complaint that she had not received widow pension.

Kaari’s husband was mowed down by a Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) bus.

Mother of three daughters and a son, Kaari today went up to DM Sanjay Kumar Singh and said: “Sir, my husband died in a road accident when he was hit by a BSRTC bus. He died on the spot. I am traumatised since my husband’s death and there is nobody to support me financially. He was the only source of income in the family. After his death, I visited the office of the transport department several times for justice and compensation but every time I had to return empty-handed.”

She added: “I have come to your darbar after being sent away from everywhere else. I want you to direct your officials to provide me with widow pension according to the government’s rule. Please help me so that I can live the rest of my life with my children and provide for them. I am very poor and my name should also be included in the BPL list so that I can get the red card to purchase groceries at low prices. Kindly help me, otherwise how would I feed my children? It has become very difficult for me to survive.”

After listening to her problem, Singh said: “Your case seems to be genuine and right now, I will direct the officials concerned to start the formalities so that you can start receiving your widow pension. Your husband died in an accident involving a vehicle of the Bihar government. It’s our duty to take responsibility of the victim’s family. Be assured that from next month you will start receiving your widow pension.”

Singh called an official from the social security department and directed him to release Kaari’s widow pension on a priority basis. “Just check the application and release her widow pension as soon as possible. She must get whatever she deserves. Make sure she does not need to run from here to there with the same request again.”

The DM also asked the social security department official to include her name in the BPL list so as to enable her to avail of the benefits.

“Send her papers for processing and see how we can put her name in the BPL list. Follow the rules and regulation and ensure she does not face any problem,” Singh directed the official.

Later, Singh told The Telegraph: “Her case is genuine and I don’t think there should be any delay. I have issued the order and I don’t think she needs to visit the darbar again. She will get whatever she deserves according to the set rules and norms.”

Kaari added: “I am thankful to the DM, who not only listened to my problem carefully but also gave the order on the spot. I never expected this. I thought I would have to come here over and over again but my problem was solved on my first visit.”