duplicate ration card

Got a chance to make a duplicate ration card yesterday – quite an experience – first we had to go to the ration office to get a form, understand the formalities, then rush to a lawyer’s office to make an affidavit stating the facts that the ration card was lost, giving details of the family members mentioned in the lost ration card, date of loss, place of loss, signed & notarized – all done quick time by the eager and willing lawyers – bless them. Next step, had to make a dash to the local police station to get a F.I.R registered – again they needed the affidavit, so had to make a second trip to collect the affidavit and submit to the police station. The police station guys were grumbling about work pressure but still they made out a form for us in about 15 minutes (that’s fast!) and had to give a rs.100 note to the person who made the document. Next step go to the ration shop to get their signatures – this was in a filthy, decrepit place, overflowing with garbage (probably not seen by municipal workers for the past five decades -). Done that, form submitted to the ration office, stand in a queue, got in touch with somebody inside the office who promised to help. Now wait for the duplicate to arrive in about a month’s time.