Just a week is left for the polling in Ranchi but the residents of the city’s established ‘Senior Citizen Home’ at Bariatu are yet to receive their voter identity cards. The 40 elderly persons who shifted here after having been neglected by their family have no idea whom to approach to get voter cards on their new permanent address.
Narrating the problem, 72-year old J Choudhary said, “Around 15 or 20 days back, some staffs from the district administration came and asked each of us to submit our name, age and permanent address details for new voter cards. Also, they told us that a booth at DAV Nandraj near to our ashram will be set up. They did not even tell us where to communicate if the voter card is not delivered.”
“Those government staffs told us that we will get our voter IDs soon. Till date, they have not come again,” Kishan Jalan, the in-charge of the home along with 70-year old Arun Kohli said.
Hearing the problem, an official of the Ranchi district administration, on the condition of anonymity, said that the voter cards are to be distributed from Friday onwards. “By the end of this week few of these elderly persons may get their voter cards since the names of all dwellers of the Home have not been enrolled in the voter list due to some reasons,” he added.
Apart from the voter card issue, these helpless senior citizens are trying hard to avail their ‘old age pension’ provided by the state government. Referring to the pension, Jalan said, “As of now 16 of us are in immediate need of old age pension. After a harassment of two months, officials in deputy commissioner’s office agreed to receive our application on January 16. At this age, is it justified to deprive us of our only source of income.”
Narrating his problem, 77-year old Om Prakash lohia, a bedridden patient here who is a strong supporter of Bharatiya Janta Party said, “I am eager to use my voting power. Hope, it would help me in receving my old age pension on time.”
However, ladies at the old age home felt the need to have voter card for the sake of identity purpose like Aadhaar card but hesitated to share views on political parties. “If we receive our voter cards, we would press NOTA. Else, there is no use of casting vote to any of the candidates as none of them are honest,” said Mithu Sanyal and Vimala Jalan.