Tiny Taxpayers

The feeling of joy sprinkled on their faces as the astrologer delivered his words of prediction: 'don't worry, your child will be a famous person and star shows the signs of good health, wealth and fortune'. Saroj and Gitanjali Rout, a couple from Rourkela, Orissa, felt happy at the moment. But couldn't imagine that fortune teller's prophecy will come true so soon !

The day on which the three month old Ayush managed to get a PAN card, it brought him to the limelight. Why an IT PAN card for a baby? Ayush's father Saroj Rout, a journalist, justifies, ''from the very beginning my son was active and expressive. An offer for modeling came from the director of Centre for Child Development and Awareness (CCDA) to Ayush. They wanted to cast my child as a model in different child development programmes. I accepted this opportunity and Ayush entered into a business agreement with CCDA. With this deal I decided to go for a separate PAN card for Ayush on may 26th.”

Minimum age for filling a PAN application is 18 years. How a baby aged just 60 days could apply for it? Asked the Unit Trust of India (UTI) Officials in Rourkela, which accepts, PAN application. Later they were convinced, when Saroj showed them column 14 of the form, which clarifies that a minor can apply for PANcard submitting proof of his address, name of parents and date of birth. Then UTI accepted Ayush's application and IT dept. issued a PAN card bearing number ALAPR 3204J just after a month.

A three-month baby with a PAN card! This newsmaker item kicked off media hype. Further Ayush's father claimed that, his son is youngest in the country to get a PAN card. This added a new wriggle to the story. A baby yet to leave his mothers lap, became famous overnight, ready to register his name in the record books.

Interestingly, Ayush's claim to be the youngest PAN card holder had broken the sweet slumbber of unaware parents across the country. The race began. Sameer and Krupa Thaker of Mumbai claimed, "when we watched Ayush's story in television, we wanted to correct the error and informed the media that our son Krishhey is leading the race, getting his PANcard when not yet two months old, on March 26th, 2007. No sooner Krishhey's demand to be youngest PANcard holder reported in media, another Mumbai based girl Anisha's father Nimish Kenia claimed that, his daughter is the youngest and had received the PANcard when she was just 33 days on 1st December 2006. According to sources, two month & a week old Panrika Sahoo of Indore has also added to the list recently. Now the forerunner Ayush is running last in the race.

In this context a senior IT Official in Bhubaneswar said : “ Minors getting a PANcard is certainly rare. Orissa's Ayush is an example of it. As media reported, the number of claimants is now four. Then it’s necessary to be checked who is the youngest PAN card holder of the country.” But its good to see these tiny tots are quite aware of their duties right from their cradle, although they are yet to know the meaning of PAN.

-Dhrutikam Mohanty.