THE VICE-CHAIRMAN (PROF. P. J. KURIEN):
Now, you can start. Please conclude in ten minutes. Take only ten minutes.
THE BUDGET (GENERAL) 2011-12 (CONTD.)
SHRI M. RAMA JOIS (KARNATAKA):
Sir, my first submission is, आम
आदमी आहार चाहता ै ह, लेिकन बजट मȂआधार नÇबर देनेका assurance िदया गया ै ह।
The Finance Minister on page 120 of his Budget Speech
says that Aadhar numbers at the rate of 10 lakh per day will be given.
But the question is: What is the aadhar for this “Aadhar”? The National Identification Authority India Bill, 2010 is pending before the Parliament. It was introduced in the last session. That was an infructuous session. It was introduced in the middle of it. Clause 3
sub-clause (2) says that on receipt of certain information an Aadhar number can be given by the Authority. But the Bill has not been made into an Act and it has not come into force. I don’t know what the aadhar for giving this Aadhar number is. This Bill is still pending. It is a matter of extravagant expenditure and giving Aadhar numbers to 1.2 billion of people is not a joke. Such an important measure involves crores of rupees and that has not been brought for debate before the Parliament. The Bill is still at the introductory stage and has not come for consideration. It may go to a Select Committee or it may go to the concerned Standing Committee. But nothing has been done so far. The Aadhar number is sought to be given not only to citizens but also immigrants, that is, non-citizens. The effect of that will be very serious because under articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution
fundamental rights are available to every person and not merely citizens. Therefore, once you allow them, regularize their stay in India and give them the Aadhar numbers they will become entitled to even fundamental rights. The provisions are of far-reaching consequences
involving colossal expenditure. Though it is an extravagant project for a poor country like India, it is being brought and a budget of Rs.1,900 crores has been allocated, and they have already started implementing it. If, for any reason, there are unforeseen problems
and the project can’t be continued at all, then ultimately all the amounts spent will go waste. Suppose the Parliament disapproves the Bill. What will happen? But, unfortunately, the Finance Minister does not even disclose that the Bill is pending. Then, how can you
give the Aadhar number? The Aadhar number has to be given only after it becomes an Act. Now he says that 10 lakh Aadhar numbers will be given per day. I will read the clause which defines what an Aadhar number is.
Clause 2 (a) says that “Aadhar number” means
the identification number issued to an individual under sub-section (2) of section 3. Clause 2(b) says that an “Aadhar number holder” means an individual who has been issued an Aadhar number under this Act. It means that once this Bill becomes an Act only an Aadhar number has to be given. They have proposed to give the Aadhar numbers just now.
There is a very enlightening article on the diverse consequences of this provision. One Ramakumar, a social scientist from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, has written an article wherein he has pointed out various flaws of it. The heading reads, “The UPA
Government is going ahead with ID project ignoring criticisms and alternative suggestions”. He says, “Two countries where the issue of national ID cards has been well debated are the United States and the United Kingdom. In both the countries, the project was shelved after public protests. Countries such as Australia have also shelved ID card schemes. While China declared its intention to introduce an ID card, it later withdrew the clause to have biometric data stored in such cards”. He further says, “The most interesting debate on the issue of
national ID cards have been in the UK. With the introduction of the Identity Cards Bill in 2004, the Tony Blair Government declared its intent to issue ID card for all the UK citizens. Public protests have forced the Labour Government to shelve the policy to date”.
(Contd. by 3Z/VK)VK/3Z/5.20
SHRI M. RAMA JOIS (CONTD):
It says, "Identity system may create a range of new and unforeseen problems." It concluded, "The technology envisioned is to a large extent untested, unreliable. No
scheme on this scale has been undertaken anywhere in the world. Smaller and less ambitious systems have encountered substantial technological and operational problems that are likely to be amplified in a large scale."
It further says, "The costs involved in such a project are always enormous and have to be weighed against the limited benefits that are likely to follow. In India, the cost estimated by the Government itself is a whopping 1.5 lakh crore. Even after the commitment of such levels of the expenditures, the uncertainty over the technological options and ultimate viability of the scheme remains. In addition, it is unclear whether recurring cost for maintaining a networked system necessary for ID cards to function effectively have been accounted for by the
Government. "
Because everyday hundreds of people are dying, and new
number has to be given. It further says, "In the case of the UK, the LSE Report noted that the costs of the scheme were significantly underestimated by the Government. The critique of the LSE Group on the costing exercise
of the UK Government is a good case study of why the costs of such scheme are typically underestimated. The LSE Group estimated that costs would lie between 10.6 billion and 19.2 billion pounds."
Lastly, it said, "What is the social benefit for centralising this information? Unfortunately, the UPA Government has skipped public debate."
Public debate can only go on in the Parliament and the
Parliament is being avoided. It is being sought to be implemented. A big office has been established and crores of rupees have been spent.
I am not speaking on the merits of the scheme. It may be good or bad, that is a separate issue. When the Bill is pending, can a project of this magnitude be implemented by merely on executive directions?
This will actually be circumventing the Parliament.
Ultimately, if the scheme fails, all the amount that has been spent will go waste.
In another article, it says, "In a poor country like this where even toilets are not available, why this luxury of issuing the Identity Cards?" Praful Bidwai says in this Article, "When the Unique Identification Authority of India was launched last year, there was no debate on its purpose or clarity about what methods it would use to
give each one of 1.2 billion Indians a 16-digit unique identity number."
He further says, "A London School of Economics team analysed a similar project considered by the British Government. It concluded 'The technology envisioned, is to a large extent, untested and unreliable. No scheme on this scale has been undertaken anywhere in the world.
Smaller and less ambitious systems have encountered
substantial technological and operational problems that are likely to be amplified in a large scale national system.' The problems will get immensely magnified in India, which is almost 20 times more populous than Britain. The UIDAI's database will be preyed upon by numerous agencies, Indian and foreign."
That means, there will be no right to privacy.
He further states, "The cost in Britain would be 10-20 billion pounds. The proportionate cost in India would exceed Rs. 2 lakh crores, enormous for a poor country, where 70 per cent of the population has no toilets. This means forgoing increased provision of public services."
This is such a scheme that Rs. 1,900 crores have been allotted. According to the Financial Memorandum, it is Rs. 5,000 crores. But actually, as worked out by experts, it will be 1.5 lakh crore, which will be required. It will be a recurring expense because everyday people are going to die and you have to give the number.
The Subrahmanyam Committee has said, "Even if you are going to issue Identity Cards, let there be separate cards for citizens and non-citizens be issued Identity Cards of a different colour and design."
(Contd. By 4A) RG/5.25/4A
SHRI M. RAMA JOIS (contd.):
But, unfortunately, the same type of cards is being issued. Now, article 19 says, “citizen”, while articles 14 and 21 says, “Every person has a fundamental right, equality and
liberty.” Then, if a person gets the card, and is issued ‘Aadhaar’, then, that will become ‘Aadhaar’ for him to claim fundamental rights under article 14 and 21. All these have not been thought of. When this was being implemented, I was at Bangalore, and I read it in the
Deccan Herald that they were going to implement it.
Immediately, on 19th January, 2011, I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. I said, “When the National Identification Authority of India Bill is pending before the
Rajya Sabha, I am surprised as to how the project is being
implemented.” Then, I wrote a letter to Shri V. Narayanasamy, in whose name the Bill was pending, and then, to the Prime Minister, saying, “I propose to move an amendment to the Bill in the Rajya Sabha under rule 125 for referring it to a Joint Committee, in view of the colossal expenditure involved in it. Hence, I am writing this letter requesting you to inform me as to how steps are being taken when the Bill is pending before Parliament.” I received a reply from the Prime Minister saying, “Your letter has been received.” There was no other explanation. Now, under the scheme of the Constitution, when a Bill is pending, it should become an Act and then the President has to give his assent. Only then any project can be implemented. But, unfortunately, a measure of this magnitude, which may, completely, affect our economy, is being implemented and crores of rupees are being spent, without the approval of Parliament. This is my first point.
The second thing is, as my hon. friends have said, with all your Budgetary provisions, unless there is financial purity, all these will be of no use. I am quoting from ‘Raj Dharma’. “सवȃषाç एव शौचानाç अथ् शौचं परं Îमृतं । यो अथȃशुिच्ह स शुिचन्मृÞ – वािर-शिच: शुिच:
"Meaning to say, of all your cleanliness, financial purity is most important. If financial purity is not there, any amount of work, that you undertake, will not make it clean. What we see today is 2G spectrum scam, Commonwealth Games scam, Antrix and Devas agreement, and its cancellation by ISRO, etc. And, recently, the Chairman of NALCO has been suspended. There is nothing in the Budget speech anywhere that some strong measures will be taken, that they will wage
a war against corruption and financial purity will be maintained.
Without financial purity, all the Budget features are useless.
Then, as far as agriculture is concerned, according to the
speech itself, the contribution of agriculture to GDP, last year, was 21.7 per cent. Now it has come down to 14.2 per cent. And, as far as environment is concerned, the problem is over-exploitation of environment. This is what the Supreme Court has stated in a judgement that there is inter-generational obligation. That is most important because the present generation should preserve environment and earth for the use of the next generation. Man is a part of the environment. But the man thinks that environment is there for him for his exploitation. For instance, a German Philosopher says, “Let us not flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory, nature takes its revenge on us. Each victory, it is true, in the first place brings about the results we expected, but in the second and third places, it has quite different, unforeseen effects which only too often cancel the first.”
Now, talking about global warming, why is this happening? It is because of unscrupulous and unlimited exploitation of natural resources that we have come to this stage.
(Continued by 4B)4b/5.30/ks
SHRI M. RAMA JOIS (contd.): I have some more points to make but because of shortage of time, I would conclude, Sir. (Ends)
