Stuck in red tape, mother fails to meet dying son

SHILLONG: Kamala Das had to pay a dear price for red tape even in this crucial period. The woman, a resident of Mawbah (Barapathar), lost her 34-year-old son Deepak Das, who was ailing in Hojai, Assam, but she could not see him for the last time.
The woman applied for vehicle pass on Wednesday after her son’s condition became critical. Deepak was suffering from liver cell disease with Hepatorenal Syndrome and was under treatment in Hojai, the family’s home town, for quite some time.
“Since health condition of my son is extremely critical, I request your goodself to issue Curfew pass for vehicle registration No. ML 05 L 6674 of driver Shri Ritesh Das so as to travel from Shillong-Hojai and back by tomorrow (Thursday),” the mother’s letter to the East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner reads.
The family ran from pillar to post on Wednesday but could not convince the state officials about the urgency.
“They had to go to the ADC, then to the DC and from there to the Political Department in Secretariat. This is too lengthy a process. Though the pass was for inter-state border but there should be a shorter way to check whether her case was genuine,” said a source.
The son passed away on Thursday but the parents could not be there for the last rites.