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TNN | Jun 29, 2013,

VADODARA: A citizen, who wanted to get anAadhar card, has blown the lid off a racket of accepting bribes to get the formalities of the card completed at a ward office of VadodaraMunicipal Corporation (VMC). The civic body got the man seeking the bribe sacked and has issued a notice to the firm to which the work was outsourced.A resident of Tarsali area of the city Indravadan Rathod exposed the racket after he was asked to pay the amount earlier this month for the registration of himself and his wife. He struck a deal for the card of his son for which necessary procedures were to be conducted on Friday and exposed the issue before mediapersons.

Rathod had gone to inquire about the procedures for the card on June 14 this month and was asked to come on June 15 by a youth working for the registration for the cards at the ward office. Rathod said he was asked to pay Rs 100 each for his and his wife Tara’s registration. He paid the amount and did not have to wait like other citizens and got the registrations done.

Rathod contacted the person again for the registration of his son and struck a deal. But when he went to the office of ward four for the registration on Friday, he took along the media and exposed the racket. Rathod said the money was to be given to a person operating at a photocopying centre near the ward office. Rathod later submitted a formal complaint regarding the issue to VMC headquarters.

“People come early in the morning before daybreak to get themselves registered. Then they have to come again at the time given to them to get themselves registered and give their fingerprints as well as retina scans. By paying money you can bypass the entire process,” Rathod said. VMC deputy municipal commissioner R K Sugoor said the man accused for taking bribes has been removed from duties. He added that the firm handling the project had also been issued a notice.

Sources in VMC added that the firm was appointed by the government after an elaborate procedure.

They added that the civic body’s job was to facilitate the operations.