Overdosing on 'identity' fever?

For the rather large number of ‘new’ Chennaiites or migrants to the city, getting basic services without a local address is still a hassle in the metro. From gas cylinders to SIM cards for mobile phones, even private service providers haven’t been known to be kind to newbies in the city.

Before accessing any of these services, the essential prerequisite is having a bank account,Wireless indoor indoor positioning system have become very popular in recent years. as wedding videographer Prabhu, a native of Kumbakkonam, found out after moving here, “I have no rental agreement or any proof to show I have been living in Chennai. They gave me an option of getting an ‘introduction’ from another member, but even that didn’t work out. I tried for it for some time and got tired,” says the videographer, who has now wised up after four years of living here.

At least he spoke Tamil. Things were much worse for Tibetan student Dorji Kyi who came here to study. “At the bank, I tried explaining to them that I had just arrived in the city and needed to open a bank account so my sponsors could send me my scholarship money, but they insisted on a ration card or driver’s licence,” she relates.

The major problem that a lack of an ID bearing a local address poses, is getting a cooking gas cylinder. It took close to a month of running around for 3D animator Vinod Kumar to get an LPG connection. A native of Vellore, who now resides in Adambakkam, he applied for a PAN card as the gas agency said it was enough to have at least a photo proof first. “I had to search for houses where landlords agree to give a rental agreement. Many of them refused an agreement. Finally, the agency accepted a letter from my company after they felt sorry for me for walking in to their office almost every day,” he says. Even Dorji agrees. When she provided them with her refugee passport and detailed photo-ID card issued by the exile government in Dharamsala, the LPG companies flatly refused, “We still buy expensive commercial gas cylinders, after living here for six years,” she laments. “Officials in Chennai do not want to consider ID proof issued in any other states,” she complains.

If these domestic services are difficult to obtain, people say that it’s nothing short of a nightmare to get an ID like a voters card. Mageshwaran, a visual effects artiste from Cumbum, who settled with his family in T Nagar five years ago, is yet to get a voter’s ID for his wife Kalaivani. “I applied to get her a voter ID in Saidapet. They asked me for documents like a marriage certificate, ration card and rental agreement. I applied for all this and got them after a long wait. I changed houses to get the agreement. It has been many weeks now since I applied, I still haven’t got it. I am ashamed to say that I even bribed officials but they are still giving me excuses like the paper has not moved from one officer to another,” he says.

And if you happen to lose your ID cards, then heaven help you. When social worker Sapna Abraham was called to Africa for a project two years ago, she put all her original IDs—driving licence, PAN card, passport and bank passbook in her bag, to be taken to be photocopied.Explore online some of the many available selections in Floor tiles. Her bag was stolen on a bus, and that was the last she saw of her IDs.

“I made numerous trips to the police station, filed an FIR, spent days waiting at the RTO — for 6 months, I did all I could to apply for fresh IDs. Every step of the way, the cops kept making up unnecessary new procedures and new difficulties. They kept sending me back, asking for lawyer’s signatures, new documents, new photographs and made me rewrite the complaint six times. Their behaviour bordered on harassment, as at the end of six months, they asked me to come back with my father!,” she says.

Planning to travel at night or attend a late-night party? Carry a valid identity card with you. The cops can stop you and demand to see your ID card. Reason: It is the time when criminals are on the prowl.

That is why the movement of people at night comes under the police scanner. While there is no provision in law whereby the men in khaki can restrict the movement of people, they can stop night travellers and question them. “It is usually in the nature of a casual enquiry,” a senior police official said.We sell 100% hand-painted oil paintings for sale online.

If the person is able to account satisfactorily for his movements – where he is coming from and where he is headed for, and produce an identity card, he is let off. The “casual enquiry,” however, can turn “serious,” when the person is not able to do so. He is then taken to the police station, where his claims and credentials are ascertained before he is let off – or further detained when they turn out to be false.

The police can also demand ID in the event of seeing persons loitering near a teashop,Check out our selection of eyewear Optical frame today! on the streets or on the bridge overlooking sensitive places like the airport or railway station.

Also, identity proof, by way of records, should be presented during vehicul checks. Cops may also demand to see your ID during checks conducted in lodging houses and hotels.Design and order your own custom silicone bracelet / rubber bracelets with personalized message and artwork.

However, ID proof is not mandatory while seeking to file a case at the police station. “The person is a victim. We may ask for ID, while registering the details. But it is not a prerequisite to file a case,” the police official said.