As deadline to submit identity papers looms, some confused, others unaware: ‘Will my father bank passbook work?'

Indian Express

17 hours ago

For the last 10 days, Kumar, a teacher, has been shuttling between his school and 'field duty' in a village in Sarairanjan Assembly constituency of Bihar's Samastipur district. A volunteer for the Election Commission of India, he has a list of about 120 women whom he has to help with documents to ensure they make it to the final electoral roll.
'I have prepared an all-woman list because they are the ones who are struggling for identity documents – both of themselves and their parents,' says Kumar, whose first name has been withheld to protect his identity.
The second phase of Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — during which the EC has invited claims and objections to its draft electoral roll that was published on August 1 — ends on September 1. While data released by the EC showed over 7.24 crore people had submitted their enumeration forms, many had done so without uploading any of 11 documents mandated by the EC to establish proof of identity. With the EC giving people time until September 1, it's a race against time for both officials and voters to get the papers in order. But on the ground, among those who are yet to submit their papers, some are confused, others unaware.
The 120 women on Kumar's list are those who have made it to the draft roll, but haven't uploaded any of the 11 supporting documents. According to the EC notification, those who don't figure on the 2003 electoral rolls of Bihar have to submit, besides the enumeration form, any one of a list of 11 documents to prove date and/or place of birth, and for those born after July 1, 1987, that of their parents as well.
The EC has deployed an estimated 1 lakh volunteers — teachers, anganwadi workers and panchayat secretaries — to assist Booth Level Officers (BLO) and help electors get the required documents.
Among those on Kumar's list of 120 is Pramila Devi, 38. Both Pramila and her husband Ramkumar Giri, a small farmer, had voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
But since Pramila is not on the 2003 voter list, she has to submit two documents — one to establish her identity and another of either of her parents.
'I have a residential certificate but I have no clue how to get my parents' documents. They lived in Singhia block of Samastipur and died years ago,' she says.
One of her acquaintances calls up the BLO, who suggests that she get a screenshot of the 2003 voter list with either of her parents' names on it.
'How do you get that? Will I not be allowed to vote if I don't get it?' Pramila wonders.
Her husband is a voter on the 2003 list and has not made much of an effort to help his wife with the documents. Their son, Shravan Kimar, a Delhi University student, offers to help. 'I hadn't given it much thought yet. Let me see if I can get the booth number where my grandparents voted. I can then go to a cafe here and look for their name on the 2003 electoral list. We still have some time.'
While Pramila is anxious, many such as Subodh Giri, 34, and his wife Radhiya Devi, 29, remain unaware that they need to furnish documents even though they have made it to the draft roll.
Leaning against a thatched wall of his house, Subodh, a daily wager and a Class 7 dropout, says, 'We have given our Aadhaar cards and photographs. That should be enough. Anyway, our names are in (the draft roll),' he says.
When asked if the BLO or any of the volunteers had approached them about the identity papers they need to submit, Subodh looks clueless.
The Indian Express contacted one of the two BLOs in the village, who said there were about 500-odd voters from three polling booths in the village who are yet to submit their documents. The BLO said they had requested ward members to call a meeting of people who need help with their papers.
The BLO then contacts Subodh and his wife and asks them to get their domicile certificates made and get a screenshot of the 2003 voter list with the name of either of Radhiya's parents. 'Thik hai, ab hum kaam par lag jaate hain (ok, we will get this done),' says Radhiya.
Pramod Kumar Rai, 38, another resident of the village, too, has been struggling to get the right documents.
His family originally belongs to Korbadha village in Samastipur, but Rai has been living in Sarairanjan since his childhood. His wife Baby Devi and he voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but the couple have now been told to get hold of documents to prove that their parents were voters in 2003. 'I visited the BLO twice to know what needed to be done. My wife found her father's name in the 2003 list, but I didn't find mine. I have submitted the 2003 list with my father's brother's name on it. I hope that works,' says Rai, a driver.
Nearly 125 km from Samastipur, at Chitakohara in the Digha Assembly segment of Patna, Mukesh Kumar, a 40-year-old who works as a driver, is happy to have made it to the draft roll. When told that he will have to submit more documents since his name doesn't figure on the 2003 electoral rolls, Mukesh looks confused. He offers his Aadhaar card and driving licence, neither of which are among the 11 EC-mandated documents.
No volunteer or official has contacted him or offered to help him with the documents. He then walks up to the village school where the BLO has set up a temporary office. 'Will my father's bank passbook work?' he asks the BLO.
When told none of his documents work, he returns home, saying, 'Dekhte hain (let's see what I can do).' Mukesh eventually applied for a residential certificate.