A HEART-WARMING case of a teenager, who had gone miss ing from home 11 years ago, finding his family again with the help of Aadhaar registra tion, has come to fore in Buldhana. In real identity was revealed Following a failed attempt for Aadhaar registra tion. Akola’s Child Welfare Department played an impor tant part in this. The boy was all of 6 years when he had gone missing from home 11 years ago. He was found by police in Maharashtra. As the boy was unable to tell anything about his parents or hometown, he was kept at a children’s home in Nagpur. He subsequently lived in children’s homes at various places, including Mumbai, Beed and Buldhana. While at a children’s home in Buldhana, the boy’s Aadhaar registration was attempted. However, despite registering 3 to 4 times, the card was not received.

 

The grievance cell was approached, but in vain. Therefore, Keshav Ghuge, a teacher at the children’s home called Sunil Ladulkar of the Akola District Child Protection Unit and explained the prob lem. Ladulkar then obtained Aadhaar registration receipts of the child and independently followed up with the Aadhaar registration customer service representative. Little did he know that this enquiry would be life-changing for the boy, now a teenager. The customer care repre sentative told Ladulkar that a new registration was not pos sible as the child already had an Aadhaar card. Knowing that he had stumbled about the child’s residential addressed, an elated Ladulkar requested for the address on the old Aadhaar card number.

 

But Ladulkar’s joy was shortlived as the representative told him that providing personal infor mation was not possible due to a Supreme Court order. Nevertheless, an online com plaint was registered at the same time. After 30 days of filing the online complaint, the issue was resolved, and the old Aadhaar number was obtained. After receiving the Aadhaar number, Buldhana Women and Child Development machinery and superintendent took the child to an Aadhaar centre. With the help of his fingerprints, the old Aadhaar card was down loaded. It revealed that the boy hailed from Jabalpur. Based on this address, the concerned District Child Protection Officer in Jabalpur was contacted. Through fol low-up efforts by Akola and Buldhana Women and Child Development departments, the child was finally handed over to the Jabalpur adminis tration. While there still are necessary verifcations and procedures to be completed before the teen can be finally reunited with his kin, his anx iety and excitement on being so close to his home, after 11 long years, should be a given.