NUAPADA: Making best use of the advancing technology, the sarpanch of Bhaleswar gram panchayat (GP) in Nuapada’s Sadar block delivered disability pension to a beneficiary residing in a remote village through drone on Saturday.Sarpanch Saroj Devi Agrawal used a drone to deliver pension to 27-year-old Hetram Satnami of Bhutkapada village, located around two km from the panchayat.
Sources said due to its remote location, Bhutkapada village is deprived of several basic amenities. To receive the benefits of different government schemes, the villagers have to travel through a tough terrain to reach the panchayat headquarters.
Agrawal said, “As Satnami faced difficulty in walking, I helped him apply for Madhu Babu Pension Yojana. Subsequently, I realised that he cannot come to the panchayat office to collect his pension amount. I had read about drones being used to deliver packages in foreign countries. So I bought a drone and delivered his pension amount of `500 through it,” she said.
The sarpanch hoped that the drone will help in delivering other services to people in remote areas in future. Bhaleswar panchayat consists of seven villages. Around 200 families reside in Bhutkapada which is located amidst a forest.
Appreciating the sarpanch’s gesture, Satnami said, “I cannot walk without support since childhood. It is not possible for me to walk two km through the forest to reach the gram panchayat office. Thanks to the sarpanch’s efforts, I received my pension without having to move out of the village.”
Block development officer (BDO) of Nuapada Subedar Pradhan said the use of drone was Agrawal’s own initiative as the government does not have the provision of buying such devices to deliver services to beneficiaries. “There are several issues which raise concern over the effectiveness of drones. Safety, security and privacy issues are involved in its use,” he said.
Project director, DRDA Madhuchhanda Sahu said the state government has no provision of using drones to deliver services.“In cases of emergencies, designated officials visit the beneficiaries in remote locations and hand over aid or benefits directly at their doorsteps. Now, most of the financial assistance is directly transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries,” Sahu added.