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Postmen fail to find beneficiaries at the given addresses in slums and colonies; residents cry foul

Aarti Kapur
Chandigarh, March 4
Thousands of Aadhaar cards of residents living in colonies and slums are gathering dust at post offices or with roadside vendors in these areas as the Department of Posts has not been able to locate recipients at the addresses mentioned on the cards.
For the past few months, postmen deputed in slums and colonies are at their wits’ end as they have failed to locate a large number of recipients at the given addresses. As a result, the undistributed cards are being dumped with area leaders or roadside vendors. In most cases, the cards are finding their way back to the post offices.
At Kajheri village alone, 56 Aadhaar cards were found lying with the area barber while the beneficiaries were running from pillar to post to get duplicate copies of the cards to avail of the services which are now available only after producing these cards. A few days ago, 200 Aadhaar cards were found lying in a garbage bin at Kajheri village.
Sham Singh of Colony No. 5 said two days ago, his area cobbler called him to deliver his Aadhaar card, which the area postman had dropped at his shop with the excuse that he had failed to locate his house. He said these days local confectionery shops and tea vendors were doing public service by delivering Aadhaar cards to residents as postmen often failed to locate them.
A representative of the Aam Aadmi Party, Kamal Kishore Sharma, who visited the colony two days ago, said residents of Kajheri had complained that around 200 Aadhaar cards were lying dumped in a garbage bin in the area. Residents then picked these up and informed the beneficiaries. Thousands of residents in 25 other colonies in the city are facing a similar problem.
A senior official of the Department of Posts said postmen had complained that they often found it difficult to deliver Aadhaar cards at the postal addresses in slums and colonies as a majority of the slum dwellers were not residing at the given addresses.
The official said the situation was even worse in rehabilitation colonies where residents had removed common walls due to which their addresses had changed.
Assistant Director General, Unique Identification Authority of India, Charu Bali admitted that they had received complaints from Kajheri and the department would communicate with the Department of Posts to resolve the issue. She said the UT Administration would also be informed about it so that the issue of delivering Aadhaar cards at the actual addresses could be resolved.
Residents of Mauli Jagran said a local leader had distributed Aadhaar cards to them instead of the postman concerned who was supposed to do so. They alleged that a number of residents had to apply for a duplicate copy of the Aadhaar card as they had not received the original one.
 
AAP delegation meets DC
A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday met the UT Deputy Commissioner and complained that in Kajheri village, residents had complained that they were being charged Rs 10 for the delivery of an Aadhaar card at their address. Nitika Sharma, a representative of the party, said they had deposited 56 Aadhaar cards, which they had found lying at a barber’s shop in the area, with the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The party has demanded action against those responsible for the lapse.
 
200 cards found lying in garbage bin
At Kajheri village alone, 56 Aadhaar cards were found lying with the area barber while the beneficiaries were running from pillar to post to get duplicate copies of the cards to avail of the services which are now available only after producing these cards. A few days ago, 200 Aadhaar cards were found lying in a garbage bin at Kajheri village