Frustrating!!!!

Today, by far I could say was the most frustrating half day of all in the recent past. The reason was I had to deal with some Government Officials on Election Duty of updating the Electoral Rolls. I had to get our names deleted from one place of residence and add it on in the list in another area where we live now though both the places are within the same ward, same Assembly Consituency. First to delete the names, the person on duty said, no your names are not there. But I have voted from there and so was sure our names were there in the list, so I sat down and searched the rolls and found our names at last. It took me an hour to do so. Then fill up the form to get the name deleted and get the acknowledgement. Then go to another place to add on the names in the rolls there. Here again, the exercise of filling in the form and as advised by the person officiating at the earlier centre, got a copy of my husband's passport for proof of address and went and submitted all our forms. The lady who was there at the Center was so haughty that she was screaming and shooing away everyone there. I waited for my turn and handed over the forms. She said that there were instructions that they were not to take passport copies which was truly frustrating. Information on this is not publicized widely enough. Anyways, I had a telephone bill which she said was perfectly all right as proof of address and handed over the same.

The lady behind the desk who was collecting the forms also let our a wail and started weeping and crying suddenly when one person asked her why the form he was handing over was not being accepted. She started saying, she is from some other department and this was not her work and that he should not ask her such questions. Come on!! Election duty is the duty towards your country. Towards ensuring your country remains a Democracy and you should be proud of it. I do not know why they post such people to do this work. Whether they get remunerated or not is besides the point here, (There is separate remuneration in addition to their regular salaries, howmuch ever it might be)it is about doing your bit for your country.

But this should be so frustrating an exercise for people who have to keep going up and down for things and also information as to what centre they have to go for adding/deleting names in Electoral Rolls. This should be made available to people. Though today, they say is the last day for this exercise, addition can be done till the date on which elections are announced. But bottomline, interacting and dealing such people is truly totally frustrating.

And I spent half a day doing, well, almost nothing. But achievement, Yes!! submitted the forms for deleting our names and also submitted the forms for adding our names in the list of voters in two different places. Now, have to patiently wait and see if the list is updated!

In the Software Capital of India, can this updating be done through computers or some online kiosks be set up to do the updating. Atleast in Bangalore? We have a long way to go!!