Aadhaar for senior citizens

The editorial Aadhaar: Strike a balance'(Oct 31) is quiet timely. I have neighbours, husband and wife aged 90 and 87

respectively. They are quite tense these days not because of their health problems but due to the fear that they don't have the Aadhaar card which is going to be mandatory for the only bank account that they are having and that it will be required when they are no more, for death certificates. They were not able to move out of house way back since the Aadhaar card enrollment process had begun about 6 years ago. Their moving out now is out of question. We inquired with many authorised enrollment centres including the one at old custom house if anybody could be deputed by them for enrollment of these persons for Aadhaar at home. The reply from each of these places was a blunt negation. 'Bring them here and we will accord them priority' has been their reply. Now, at these age and stage, they are worried about their bank account and the problems their people will face if they are not there. Such must have been the situation with many more. Therefore, one feels that linkage of Aadhaar, if at all, should not be in an indiscriminate manner. Some care should be taken to link it

to only on categories where it is absolutely necessary and octogenarians like the ones stated above should be exempted. If it is made mandatory for all age groups, then the government must make arrangement to make the Aadhaar card available to senior citizens at home. This is certainly not too much to expect from the governing dispensation.

— Ramesh N Hasgekar