Madhya Pradesh Woman Marked Dead In Records For Three Years Seeks Help

“कलेक्टर साहब... मुझे जिंदा कर दो!” With this appeal, Shashikala, an elderly woman suffering from leprosy, reached a public hearing in Khandwa carrying a placard. She has been recorded as dead in government files for the past three years, because of which her pension and government ration were stopped.

The woman’s placard carried the words, “कलेक्टर साहब मुझे जिंदा कर दो।” She had gone to the public hearing with documents and other proof to show that she is alive. However, instead of first hearing her plea, officials reportedly objected to the poster. The administration later assured her that the problem would be resolved soon.

The case has raised questions about the functioning of the government system in Khandwa. While the government claims that poor and needy people are being provided pensions and ration, an error in the records has left a living person officially declared dead for three years.

Shashikala has been fighting to prove she is alive

Shashikala lives at the Nirmal Dham Leprosy Ashram. She has been trying to prove that she is alive for the past three years. Her name was marked as deceased in the Municipal Corporation records and in her Samagra ID.

As a result, her pension was stopped. She also stopped receiving government ration. The woman has been visiting government offices for three years to get the records corrected and to restore the benefits.

Shashikala’s financial condition was already weak. Her husband works as a daily wage labourer. The stoppage of her pension and ration for three years has added to the family’s difficulties.

The problem is not limited to the incorrect entry in the government records. Shashikala has lost the fingers on her hands because of leprosy, and she also has difficulty seeing properly. Because of these problems, the fingerprint and iris scans required for updating her Aadhaar have not been completed.

This has created another hurdle for her. On one side, the government records carry the mark that she is dead. On the other, the technical process needed to update her identity details is also proving difficult because her fingerprints and iris scan cannot be taken properly.

After going around government offices for three years, Shashikala finally decided to make her complaint public. She reached the public hearing with the placard asking the collector to declare her alive in the official records. The source said that she faced the displeasure of officials before receiving an assurance of relief.

Opposition leader demands arrears

Municipal Corporation Leader of Opposition Deepak, also known as Mullu Rathore, reached the public hearing in support of Shashikala. He questioned the way officials had dealt with her complaint.

According to Deepak alias Mullu Rathore, an helpless woman had been visiting government offices for three years, but her problem had still not been solved. He demanded that Shashikala should be given the ration and pension due to her for three years in a lump sum.

He also demanded action against the officials responsible for the lapse.

Administration says correction process has started

After the matter gained attention, the administration issued its clarification. District Panchayat CEO Aishwarya Verma said that an entry showing Shashikala as dead had been made by mistake in her Samagra ID.

According to Aishwarya Verma, the process of correcting the entry has already been started. The administration has claimed that the technical problem will be fixed within one or two days and that her pension will then be sanctioned.

The administration also said that a registration arrangement based on facial recognition, or face recognition technology, will be made for elderly people and leprosy patients whose fingerprints or iris scans cannot be taken. This arrangement is intended to help people facing difficulties with the existing identity verification process.