Passport no Aadhaar for gas connection

She has performed in more than a dozen countries abroad, but back home Pooja Sapera lacks even the basic amenity like a gas stove. Call it an irony, but this internationally recognised artiste is ignorant about the basic schemes that are run by the government, and therefore is forced to cook on a wooden stove (chulha) till date.

Pooja has a passport and a PAN card but is yet to secure an Aadhaar card for herself and because of this she cannot avail various government schemes including Ujjwala, that promises clean cooking gas for all citizens. And, Pooja is not alone as there are about a dozens artistes living in the Kalakar Colony of Jaipur along with her, who are ignorant about governments flagship schemes thereby depriving them of the benefits.

Ironically Pooja has even performed during a government function ‘Modi Fest’ held in Jaipur, the event which promoted ‘Ujjwala’ as one of the flagship schemes. “We have heard about the scheme, but whenever we tried to get a gas connection people demanded money from us,” said Pooja.

When DNA visited her house, she was preparing food on a traditional chulha (stove) with another artistes Meena. Meena too has travelled abroad and gleefully displays her stamped visa and passport, yet the portfolio of this international artiste fails to reflect as a mark of prosperity for her family and neighbourhood.

Like numerous other artistes living here, both Pooja and Meena have been devoid of education. Even as their exceptional dancing skills help them to earn a living, they are still a challenged lot when it comes to claim their rights from the government. The administration has obviously failed to reach them and their show managers are interested only to get their travel documents sorted out.

“Whenever there is a show, the organisers get us the necessary documents, thus most of us here have a passport and PAN card. However, they are not concerned about helping with other documents,” says Pooja.

Each house in the colony has  artistes who have kept alive the traditional dance forms of the state and most of them are victims of their own ignorance and to a great extent apathy of the government.

“Foreign tour is neither a challenge or an achievement in this colony, here the artistes struggle each day to get basic amenities,” says, Shravan.

For each foreign tour they get fixed salary on project basis. They are earning a descent living but lack of knowledge and social backwardness devoids them of not just cooking gas connection but things like land titles and health facilities being doled out by government.