This bed-ridden 70 year old was wheeled out for Aadhaar

Roda Billimoria is 70-years old and has been bed-ridden for more than 10 years. Her family members were required to arrange for an ambulance, lift her from the second floor of her residence at Nana Chowk and take her to Citizen Facilitation Center D ward office of the BMC for Aadhaar enrollment.

After four attempts, the officials were able to take her iris (eye) impression. Her Aadhaar application is now under process. But despite repeated attempts (four times), her thumb impression or fingers impressions could not be taken.

Sachin Pola, supervisor at the CFC at D Ward of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told DNA that at present there is no provision to reach out to such bed-ridden patients and issue them Aadhaar by doing the procedure at their home. He said that whether it is a bed-ridden person or a handicap, what CFC can do is it can take such people for finger print and iris impression on a priority basis.

Billimoria told DNA that the staff at D Ward office were very cooperative and they made all the efforts to register her for the Aadhaar card, but failed. She said that the staff at the Aadhaar office tried to take her finger impression almost four times and had to apply vaseline to her palm time and again, but impressions could not be taken.

A social worker Pervin Daruwalla, who is Roda's friend and had taken the appointment for Aadhaar registration, said, "It is not a question of Roda getting her Aadhaar card, but it is a question of all those who are either senior citizens or bed ridden or even despite being young cannot come to Aadhaar office. There is a need for a mechanism that allows the system to approach such individuals to enable them to have their Aadhaar cards."

CFC supervisor Pola told DNA that Billimoria's iris impression has been recorded, and her Aadhaar application is under process. It would be decided in a week's time by Aadhaar office in New Delhi. Pola informed that Billimoria wanted her Aadhaar card for bank operations. Soon, her mobile number will be seeded with her Aadhaar number, and banks can verify her mobile number and send her OTP or one time password for further transactions.

Daruwalla said that taking a bed-ridden patient physically from the House to ward office and then returning back in vain would not serve the purpose. Instead, Daruwalla said, "It is for officials to reach out to all such persons and provide them Aadhaar cards by verifying their documents and other details. It can reduce the pressure on officials and also would not result in harassement to such patients." Daruwalla who is a social worker in D ward area told DNA that there are many others in her area who have sent emails to the ward office for Aadhaar registration.