ISSUE OF NEW PLASTIC ELECTORAL CARDS

Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala has come out with a novel idea of issuing new plastic voter ID cards with color photos instead of the old laminated cards with black and white photos. 

As per the instructions contained in the advertisement released by CEO in this regard, I uploaded the data in respect of me and my wife in their site on the day the advertisement appeared itself and had received a confirmation that the aadhar had been successfully validated and we would be issued new cards within 60 days. At the time of validation the aadhar card, I was not asked to upload the color photos (as mentioned in the advertisement) and hence I was ready with copies of photograph to be handed over to the BLO when the official visited us for the purpose. ( I thought this was not insisted on as I had already submitted color photos last year while applying for transfer of the card from Trivandrum to the new address)

Yesterday the BLO visited us and asked us to submit copies of aadhar card as well as color photos for issuing the new cards. When I told her that my aadhar had been successfully validated, she informed that she had not received the validated input form from Taluk Office and hence I have to give both these documents.

While I appreciate the efforts taken by the CEO, I wonder whether proper home work had been done in connection with this. I fail to understand the need for the copy of the aadhar card when the validation of the same had already been done online. Also when the application for issuing the new card had been made online on the very first day itself, why the relative form has not been given to the BLO for further verification? Any amount of my arguments with BLO did not heed any positive response, with only a meek statement that she had not received the form from taluk Office. Whose fault is this? The officials at Taluk office who have taken the printouts and distributed to the BLOs or the BLO who has to sort the forms as per wards? Whoever is at fault the ultimate sufferer is the common man!!!!

I also remember, while issuing a new electoral card at our new address last year, the Deputy Tahsildar in charge of the work had refused to accept copy of the aadhar card as proof of residence of my wife. He had also refused to consider my proof of address applicable to her also and insisted on another document proving her residence proof and luckily we could manage with the gas connection voucher!!! And now the vary same aadhar card has become all the more important!!