Comment Pieces

Voter ID card with a price tag

Posted on August 23, 2012

Right to exercise one’s franchise is a cardinal right of democracy in India. Reports on our website, on the other hand, present the ground reality in which voter ID cards come with a price tag.

“I paid a bribe to vote,” declared one of the respondents from Andhra Pradesh. He had failed to get his voter ID card, despite applying for it twice. However, within two days of paying bribe, the individual received his voter ID card. 

Another respondent from New Delhi had to pay a sum of Rs. 1000 as a bribe to get his voter ID card. Writing on our website, the person mentioned, “I paid Rs 1000 to the government officer who verifies all data to get voter ID card for my family”. 

Despite these dismal incidents, there are many brave bribe-fighters who do not surrender to the pressure of corruption and choose to fight back. Here is an inspiring story of an 18-year-old individual, from Uttar Pradesh, who was asked to pay a bribe to obtain his voter ID card. This bribe-fighter succeeded in procuring his voter ID card without paying a rupee to bribe-demanding officers.