Officials take new voters for a ride

TIRUPATI: The newly enrolled voters were made to run from pillar to post on the National Voters Day on Wednesday as no official was present to tell them where they can collect their voter ID card. Most of them went to the polling station following a SMS that voter ID cards will be issued at their respective polling stations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, but were surprised to see that no one was present there.After waiting for three hours they returned home cursing the officials.But, when some voters contacted the tahsildar office they were informed that ID cards will be issued from 1.00 p.m. and not 10 a.m. as all the officials concerned with the voter list and ID cards were busy attending the National Voters Day meeting at Mahathi auditorium.Many voters went again to the polling station with a hope of collecting their ID card but to their dismay only empty chairs greeted them.PC Mohan Krishna of Yasoda Nagar said he along with his mother and three other women in his area went to the polling station at SV Oriental College to collect the voter ID card after receiving the SMS, but no official was present. ``The students and teachers politely asked us to leave the premises as they have to make the arrangements for the Republic Day,’’ he said.Following the SMS, one Gita first went to the polling station at SGS School in the morning and again in the evening. Later, coming to know that in urban areas voter ID cards were  being issued through Mee Seva centres, she went to the centre at the municipal office where the staff told her that they have not received any  voters list. When she told them about the report on TV, they said that they were in no way responsible for such (mis) information.When a scribe, after receiving a series of complaints tried to contact the tahsildar, a revenue inspector answered instead, informing that ‘Sir is busy with the National Voters Day meeting’ and quickly disconnected. Repeated attempts to contact the tahsildar to seek his clarification went in vain.It is really shocking that the officials were busy giving lectures on the importance of vote in the democracy etc. while the poor voters were running from pillar to post to enquire about the fate of their voter ID cards.Though official apathy or indifference is not new to the citizens but their negligent attitude even on the Voters Day was indeed indigestible to the people. Further, the voters are confused as no official has given the reason for their failure to arrange for the issue of voter ID cards or giving information about where they can be obtained.