Patna: Residents of Danapur, Patna, are facing severe difficulties in getting residence certificates as RTPS centers struggle to handle a surge in applications. Nihal Kumar, a local resident, has been visiting the Block Development Office daily at 10 a.m. for the past three days, but his application has yet to be processed due to repeated server failures.
Kumar needs the residence certificate to have his name added to the voter list under the SIR (Voter List Amendment) program, as it was deleted from the draft roll. “The BLO told me that without a residence certificate, my name cannot be restored. But every day, the server fails, and I end up wandering around all day without any result,” he said.
Ground Realities at the RTPS Centers
Nand Kishore Sah, from the Diara area, traveled across the overflowing Ganga to reach the RTPS center. He requires a residence certificate along with caste and income certificates to add his name to the ration card. “I reached the center drenched in rain only to find the machine not working. Missing a day of work is costly for me, as I am the sole earning member,” he said. Sah also criticized the new SIR system, saying it has created huge crowds and multiple visits for a single certificate.
Rahul Kumar of Saguna Mod echoed similar frustrations. “I came yesterday and today, but each time I am told the server is down. The government says online applications will work, but in practice, we have to visit repeatedly. Yes, paying money helps, but that shouldn’t be necessary,” he said.
Mukesh Kumar Sinha, a resident of Danapur Cantt, faced difficulties obtaining a residence certificate for his 7-year-old son to complete Aadhaar registration. “I came with my child, but the window was closed, and later I was informed the server was down. I have to come again tomorrow with the required documents,” he said.
Massive Surge in Applications
Bihar Government data from the Administrative Reform Mission Society shows that applications for residence certificates have skyrocketed this year. In August 2025 alone, 52,97,099 applications were received — about five times higher than the 12,87,576 applications in August 2024. July 2025 also saw a significant increase, with 56,13,633 applications compared to 16,88,758 in July 2024.
Senior journalist Santosh Kumar attributed the surge to increased awareness and electoral reforms. “People are coming forward due to the opposition’s scrutiny of the SIR program and the Election Commission’s awareness campaigns. The residence certificate is a mandatory document for updating voter lists, so citizens are taking notice of their rights,” he said.
With RTPS servers failing repeatedly and long queues forming daily, residents of Danapur are struggling to secure essential documents, highlighting the urgent need for technical improvements and better management at government centers.
