Alipurduar senior struggles to prove she is alive amidst govt record errors

Alipurduar: Seventy-three-year-old Ahiran Bibi has been running from pillar to post trying to prove that she is alive, but in vain. She has been grappling with a perplexing issue: despite being very much alive, she is listed as deceased in government records. This clerical error has led to the suspension of her old-age pension and other essential government services, including ration distribution.

For the past eighteen months, Bibi, a resident of Khalpara in New Hasimara, Alipurduar district, has been visiting different government offices in a desperate bid to correct the error. Despite her name being correctly listed in voter and Aadhaar cards, she remains officially declared deceased. With her husband having passed away and her five daughters married, she relies solely on her son, who drives an e-rickshaw. “I am alive and speaking, but my name is listed as deceased in government records,” Bibi said. “My old-age allowance and ration benefits have been halted for a year and a half. Despite working under MGNREGA, I have received no payment. I’m bewildered as to why I was declared dead.”

Her grandson, Ainul Rahman, stated, “My grandmother suffers due to this negligence. We demand justice.” Kalchini BDO Mithun Majumdar assured, “We will investigate the discrepancy and resolve

it swiftly.”