Mumbai: 78-year-old in tears after bus conductor demands Aadhar card

The conductor who forced Kesharben Dharod (right) off the ST bus

A 78-year-old woman was told to get off a state transport bus for not having an Aadhaar or PAN card on her to support her senior citizen card, ironically issued by the Maharashtra government itself. Though the family has complained to the bus depot manager and MSRTC bosses, no one seems interested in looking into the matter.

When contacted, Maharashtra Transport Minister and Chairman of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Diwakar Raote told mid-day that he would look into the matter once the complaint reached his office.

"The incident happened on September 20, when we were travelling from Aurangabad to Kalyan. After we boarded the ST bus, the conductor, S R Gaikwad, asked my mother [Kesharben Shamji Dharod] to show proof that she was a senior citizen. We produced the senior citizen identity card. The conductor, however, insisted on supporting proof for the ID card and demanded we show an Aadhaar or PAN card," Ketan Dharod told mid-day.

Dharod's wife, Shilpa, who has filed a written complaint with the State Transport Divisional Office, Thane West, Labour Officer of State Transport Thane Division and Raote, added, "We told him we did not have it then but could call home and get it on the phone to show it to him. He, however, insisted that if we did not have Aadhaar card or any other supporting documents, we must get off the bus, as just a senior citizen card was not enough.

"The bus had just started from Aurangabad; even as all this was happening, the conductor asked us to get down. Due to the delay, other passengers started shouting, so the conductor instigated the irritated crowd that he won't go ahead till we got off the bus."

"To avoid further commotion, we got off and took another bus to Kalyan. What happened to our family was unjust, and we want the authorities to take action," she added.
The family alleged that the conductor was not wearing any badge and refused to share his credentials. They later got his details from the Kalyan bus depot.

"The SC decision on Aadhaar is good. I do not understand why everyone was making Aadhaar compulsory despite having other authentic IDs in possession. What we faced was nothing less than harassment," her son Ketan said.

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