State’s fumble triggers a grave scramble

Common man forced to go through a nightmarish time for Aadhaar cards

MEDAK, Andhra Pradesh,05/02/2013:Many hands few to address large number of applicants waiting at the Aadhaar centre at Beeramguda in Medak district on Tuesday in Medak. ----PHOTO:MOHD ARIF;MEDAK, Andhra Pradesh,05/02/2013:Many hands few to address large number of applicants waiting at the Aadhaar centre at Beeramguda in Medak district on Tuesday in Medak. ----PHOTO:MOHD ARIF - MEDAK, Andhra Pradesh,05/02/2013:Many hands few to address large number of applicants waiting at the Aadhaar centre at Beeramguda in Medak district on Tuesday in Medak. ----PHOTO:MOHD ARIF

There was virtual bedlam in hundreds of Aadhaar enrolment centres across the State on Tuesday with thousands of people thronging them for registering their names under the Unique Identification Number scheme.

Serpentine queues were witnessed outside the centres as people scrambled to get the cards before February 15, the deadline for obtaining Aadhaar cards.

Without these cards, the consumers will forfeit the government’s subsidy on domestic gas cylinders.

In spite of the public furore in the form of ‘rasta roko’ and demonstrations over the past few days over the State government’s apathy in catering to the rush of applicants, the officialdom was caught completely unprepared even on Tuesday.

This was evident from the fact that sufficient number of application forms was not available at the enrolment centres in spite of the rush.

There was chaos as adequate number of recording machines was also not positioned for registering applicants using biometric and Iris technologies. Moreover, capturing digital photographs of the applicants turned out to be time consuming.

Closure of several centres without notice turned out to be another irritant for applicants as they were forced to scurry for the nearest centres where the registration process was on.

Working men and women complained that they had to apply for a day’s leave to submit their applications, but returned home without getting their work done.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy who was in New Delhi requested the Centre to extend the deadline for Aadhaar-linked LPG cylinders in the State capital and neighbouring Ranga Reddy by at least two months.

The request came in the light of the Civil Supplies department expressing total inability to complete enrolment before the deadline.

Mr. Reddy directed the officials to open 200 more centres for enrolment, in addition to 210 functioning and assured consumers that the Centre would come out with a favourable decision in a day or two. Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew took up the issue with Petroleum Ministry secretary on his directions.