the goan I network
VASCO
Doubts have arisen over a migrant family, presently residing in Mapusa but claiming to be from Shantinagar in Vasco, as well as the Aadhaar card issued to them.
Champa, Puraji and Natu Bhati have been residing in a makeshift dingy hut on the outskirts of Mapusa, but possess an Aadhaar card with a residential address from Shantinagar-Vasco.
All three have the same residential address on the Aadhar card “H No 670, Near Ekta Engg Garage, Shantinagar, Vasco Da Gama, South Goa, Goa “ 403802.”
They claim to be natives of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, but said they had voting rights in Vasco and had been living in Mapusa for the last 10 years. They also claimed that a ‘lamani uncle’, who was affiliated to one of two main national parties, had helped them get their Aadhaar cards for free.
Incidentally, a visit to Shantinagar area to track the address on their Aadhaar card revealed that there was no dwelling with the house number 670.
Of the 300-odd houses in Shantinagar, around 25 houses had the same house number 670, but it was subdivided by alphabets like 670/A, 670/B, 670/C and so on.
An interaction with residents in the area further revealed that the family claiming to be from Shantinagar, was never seen residing in
the area.
“We are surprised that the persons featured in a video made viral claim to be from this area, but we have never come across any such persons here before. Secondly, there is no such house as 670 here and so the Aadhaar card is most likely fake,” said a resident, who did not wish to be named.
“Two years ago, a family of migrants resided on the roadside in a tent of corrugated sheets and they were involved in some works of pottery and Plaster of Paris for a living. This family then left from the area after about 15 days, but they are not the people seen in the video. We are not sure how they have an Aadhaar card from this area.”
“For an Aadhaar card, proof is required like that of an electricity bill or a ration card, but when there is no such house number, they could not have been issued an Aadhaar card with that house number. Either the Aadhaar card is fake or there is a printing mistake, whereby the alphabet has been missed out after the house number. In either case, Aadhaar card is definitely misleading,” added the resident.
