In Agra, a 70-year-old man, Dinanath Yadav, drew attention as he carried a wooden placard reading “Main Zinda Hun (I am alive).” Yadav claimed he was erroneously declared dead by government employees at Agra’s Chief Development Officer (CDO) office. Appearing before the Agra District Magistrate, he presented documents supporting his assertion.
Dinanath Yadav, an Agra resident, expressed surprise at being declared dead and informed the District Magistrate that he is in good health, tends to his farms daily, and has received an old-age pension for the past two years. However, his pension ceased in March this year without a satisfactory explanation from the village Secretary.
Upon visiting the CDO office, Yadav discovered that a staffer had marked him as deceased in government records, leading to the cessation of his pension and potential legal complications in the future. In an attempt to draw attention to his plight, Yadav repeatedly tried to contact the District Magistrate over the past eight months. Frustrated with the lack of resolution, he resorted to using a placard for greater visibility.
The District Magistrate promptly contacted the village Panchayat Secretary in Etmadpur, instructing a thorough report to resolve Yadav’s predicament. Block Development Officer (BDO) Anirudh Singh acknowledged the case but couldn’t comment due to being on leave.
Social activist Vijay Upadhyay highlighted that Yadav’s case is not isolated, emphasizing the plight of hundreds in Uttar Pradesh facing similar challenges of being mistakenly declared dead on government records and struggling to prove their existence.