Over a dozen voter I- cards were recovered from some rag pickers near the garbage dump in KDA Colony, in Jajmau locality, late on Wednesday evening.

The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the case. Advocate Nitin Jaiswal, who found the rag pickers playing with the cards, said he saw street children throwing away laminated cards when he was returning from work. “I stopped to enquire and was shocked to find that these were voter I- cards,” he added. He also said he took away the cards in order to deliver them to tehsildar Siyaram Maurya. He said the children might have thrown away many cards as he only had nine in his possession.

Residents of KDA Colony, who are still waiting for their cards, were shocked that such important documents were lying in the garbage. All voter I- cards were issued on March 27 last year.

Mohammed Saeed, whose card was found in the garbage, said officials on election duty had come to him last year and had taken photographs and personal information needed for the I-card, but he never received it.

Tehsildar Siyaram Maurya said the dumping of the cards was a matter of grave concern. “It will be investigated and strict action will be initiated against the guilty persons. It will also be inquired as to who was responsible for their distribution and why were these not handed over to genuine cardholders,” he added.