The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as well as the Chatra district administration on Thursday came forward to rescue Dalit Divyang boy Akhilesh Bhuiyan.
A day after The Pioneer carried a moving story of the 17-year-old of Nimia Tand village of Aru panchayat falling under Hunterganj block in Chatra district, the UIDAI started arranging special enrolment centre for him while the district administration passed directions to the local BDO.
“We came to know about the injustice met out to Akhilesh. I have contacted local Aadhaar enrolment centre, which is located 14 kms from his village. More efficient staff would visit to his home and ensure that despite his disabilities he is enrolled for Aadhaar,” said Arun Tiwari, Information, Education and Communication Manager with the Authority at Ranchi regional office.
Outlining the difficulties coming in the way of enrolling persons with disability, especially with hand, thumb and eye, Tiwari said that the UIDAI has special provisions to follow.
“If any person has his hands and eyes immobile, he cannot be debarred from collecting his entire biometrics, means scanning finger prints as well as iris fearing manipulations. Akhilesh falls into the category and perhaps due to this only the agent would not have managed to enroll him. But if the operator is expert and proper care is taken in data collection then scanning persons like Akhilesh is quite possible. We have directed the local center operator to conduct scanning in a proper way and make sure that his biometric is collected,” added the official.
The Divyang boy along with his destitute family has been running from pillar to post to get his Aadhaar number so that his disability pension can continue. He has been denied with disability pension in the absence of Aadhaar number which is a must to get any kind of monetary benefit from the Government under social security schemes.
At the same time, the Chatra district administration, while coming out of hibernation, took strides to assist the Dalit family. “We have taken contingence of the case. Hunterganj BDO has been told to go to the village this week itself and make sure that his Aadhaar enrolment is accomplished. He has been told to carry an Aadhaar operator with him for this purpose,” responded Chatra DC Sandeep Singh on Thursday.