Online system for senior citizen’s card opposed

HUBBALLI: Karnataka State Retired Government Employees and Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association vented its ire against the online system of issuance of senior citizen identity cards.
Association general secretary B A Patil said on Friday that two months ago, they had welcomed the government’s decision to issue the ID cards online. “But now this online procedure has turned a bane for senior citizens as it is mandatory to provide the Aadhaar number along with a mobile phone number. Senior citizens are forced to visit cyber cafes and wait for three-four hours to register for the ID card. Further, 50% of senior citizens have not linked their Aadhaar cards with their mobile numbers,” he said.

“To update the mobile number, we must visit a post office or a bank which have waiting lists of several months. Due to this lengthy procedure, many senior citizens are deprived of the card, which is mandatory to avail any government schemes. The government should either cancel the online system or not ask for the one time password (OTP) of Aadhaar card during registration” he urged.

He also urged the government to provide senior citizens concession in sleeper buses along with ordinary and Rajahamsa coaches which are currently available.

Association’s honorary president P S Dharaneppanavar said that government should fulfil all their demands at the earliest. “Otherwise we will campaign for NOTA as a token of protest before the elections,” he said.