Baramulla, Sept. 19 -- For Shameema Begum, an elderly widow from Dodbugh Sultanpora in Baramulla, Rs.1,000 a month would mean access to life-saving medicines, and some others basics she struggles to maintain since losing her husband to cancer.

Nearly two years after she first submitted an online application for widow assistance, Shameema remains caught in a cycle of repeated submissions, documentation and waiting. Despite reportedly receiving sanction-related communication, she says the financial assistance has not reached her yet.

Her case raises questions about the functioning of the Social Welfare Department and the Tehsil Social Welfare Office, Baramulla, particularly regarding the handling of vulnerable beneficiaries who depend on ...