Inaccessible private centres for ration cards hurting the physically challenged

The private centres for ration card photo and application may have offered more options and avenues for people. But for the old and weak, and physically disabled people, they have become a cause of inconvenience.

The Department of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Karnataka, has from the month of May earlier this year, provided 14 private centres in the city of Mangalore with the license to accept ration card applications and accumulation of biophoto and finger prints for the purpose. In order to complete the ration card formalities, it has been made mandatory for citizens to visit these centres where their photo is taken via computer cam besides collecting their finger prints. The physically disabled are also required to do the same. But most of these centres are so inaccessible that they are more than inconvenient for them.

“We have shifted to a new place of residence and since there was a change of address, all of us in the family had to apply afresh for the ration card. I had from the internet downloaded the list of various centres in Mangalore and called a few of them, personally enquiring as to whether their centre is accessible for a physically challenged person like me and if I can acess the place with my wheelchair. I enquired with the Balmatta centre and they said its just two steps that I would need to cross and I thought mere two steps are not a big deal and hence said fine. But when we went there, we discovered it was steeper than we thought and there was no way I could access it. They had given us wrong information. I had the list with me and I called a centre in Mangaladevi. He said although there are steps there too, he will bring his laptop down and take my photo at the ground floor portion of his office. We agreed and went there. But the moment we said that one of our family members had already applied in the Balmatta centre, he said it is not possible for him now to accept my application here because all family members are required to apply with the same centre. We roamed around the whole day doing this. Are these rules so rigid that a physically challenged person who has come all the way cannot be given some leniency?” says Abdul Wahid, a resident of Valencia area of the city.

Barring a limited few centres like the Infotech Technology centre in Rao and Rao building near State Bank, most of these centres are not easily accessible for the physically challenged. But due to competition, these centres will but naturally try to attract citizens to their own hub. Some of these centres are internet cafes too. Not only are some of them inaccessible for physically challenged, they are way too congested too, making it almost impossible for a person on a wheel chair for instance to get himself photographed there. But it is the lack of cooperation from these centres and the prevailing confusion, which is of greater concern. The physically challenged citizens are grousing that the government should give leniency in rules if it cannot give licenses to only those centres which are accessible for them.

‘Don’t apply for ration cards for mere identity proof’

Mr. Basappa told Coastaldigest.com that people flock the office of the Department of Food and Civil Supplies at the DC’s office premises to get ration cards merely to obtain an identity proof. “The ration card is meant for food supply. People just flock our office asking for ration cards not because they want ration but simply because they want an identity proof. There are even people who trouble our staff just to get their names and minor spelling mistakes corrected. Our personnel are few in number and the stress the crowd puts at them, not only gets them frustrated but also slows down our service whereby the deserving people do not get service on time. For identity proof people have various other options in terms of the voter id card, certification from Tahshildar and so on. Providing identity proofs is not our job”, says the Deputy Director.