Aadhar project fails to meet deadline in J&K 9/13/2013 11:24:34 PM Majid Ahmad SRINAGAR, Sept 13: While the Unique Identification Project (UIP), Aadhar, was launched in Jammu and Kashmir two years ago, it seems the project has failed to take off as nobody in the state has been issued the hi-tech multipurpose identity card yet. The project was launched amid much fanfare by the State Government in August 2010. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was the first person to get himself enrolled for Unique Identification Number as the project was launched simultaneously in four districts of Jammu, Srinagar, Baramulla and Ganderbal. However, as State Governments in rest of the country have already begun the distribution of the multi-purpose identity cards, people in J&K will have to wait for another at least six month before the multipurpose cards are issued to them. Sources told Early Times that though the data collection process in the state has already been completed, the biometrics part is incomplete. "Under the biometrics, the finger prints and photograph of individuals are currently being taken in Doda, Kishtwar, Kulgam and Ganderbal. By March 2014 every district will be covered," they said. When implemented, Aadhaar would remove chances of use of fake job cards, fake ration cards, false identity cards and ghost employees who exist only on paper. The Unique Identification Number would prove more efficient in ensuring benefits to weaker sections of society under various schemes in the sectors of Rural Development, Social Welfare, Health and Education. It will also check pilferages and protect privacy of the card holders.. A senior officer of Census Department said that he latest NPR project was scheduled to commence from January 2013 under the guidance of UIAI and the direct control of Registrar General of India. "But due to delay it could not be begin before May this year," he said and added the whole process shall be completed by March 2014. Experts say that the absence of Aadhaar cards would make introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme in the state unlikely. As the centre Government has made it mandatory for people to have Aadhaar cards- replaced by National Population Register Smart Cards in 2011 in J&K- for availing subsidizes in cash, its absence in the state, according to experts, would keep it from implementing progressive steps like DBT. According to experts the UID numbers, once in place, would reduce hassle of repeatedly proving identity by various documents to avail services like opening a bank account and obtaining passport or driving license. For people living below poverty line and the ones who are entitled to various Government-run welfare programmes, the number and the biometric data will help in identifying the beneficiaries and help stop misuse of the schemes.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 03:10:00 +0000
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