GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government has launched a unique identity (UID) project for residents of the state, which will be separate from the Union government's project under the chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani.
The Rs 15-crore project will give every individual an UID number and have details such as if the person is below or above the poverty line, whether he/she pays income tax, permanent address, property ownership and if entitled to reservation benefit.
Two government departments - state civil supplies and revenue - are working overtime to make the state's own UID project a big success. While the civil supplies department is already in the process of completing a database on ration supply, the revenue department will add rest of the details related to income and property. "A pilot project has already been implemented in Moria village of Banaskantha district," said state civil supplies secretary Raj Kumar, adding, "We plan to implement it in one village in every taluka ." Thereafter, the project will move to the urban areas.
Set to cost Rs 15 crore, one major feature of the state's UID project is that it will be activated only when the biometric impression is fed into the computer . "All information will be contained in a simple bar code, which will be read by a handheld scanner on a designated computer after getting the biometric detail," Kumar said, adding, "We have begun by sticking the bar code on ration cards. The e-gram centres in 13,000 villages will take biometric impressions to read the barcoded information. Based on the information, each individual will be entitled to government schemes, including receiving ration from public distribution shops."
"The revenue department will take up the job of infusing more information once the civil supplies department finishes work of bar-coded ration cards," a senior department bureaucrat said, adding, "We plan to hire agencies to gather data. We expect the work will start in June and will be completed by early next year." The Union government's National Informatics Centre (NIC) has already prepared software for the whole project.
The new government machinery headed by a class I official , taluka sarkar, and created at the grassroots level for gathering applications for all government schemes, will use UID to disseminate help.
Calling Card
The biometric UID card will have several details of the person, including his income, property, quota benefits, etc. A pilot project has been implemented in Moria village of Banaskantha district The Rs 15-cr project will start in June and is expected to end next year The card will enable the holder access to government schemes, including ration supply.
The Rs 15-crore project will give every individual an UID number and have details such as if the person is below or above the poverty line, whether he/she pays income tax, permanent address, property ownership and if entitled to reservation benefit.
Two government departments - state civil supplies and revenue - are working overtime to make the state's own UID project a big success. While the civil supplies department is already in the process of completing a database on ration supply, the revenue department will add rest of the details related to income and property. "A pilot project has already been implemented in Moria village of Banaskantha district," said state civil supplies secretary Raj Kumar, adding, "We plan to implement it in one village in every taluka ." Thereafter, the project will move to the urban areas.
Set to cost Rs 15 crore, one major feature of the state's UID project is that it will be activated only when the biometric impression is fed into the computer . "All information will be contained in a simple bar code, which will be read by a handheld scanner on a designated computer after getting the biometric detail," Kumar said, adding, "We have begun by sticking the bar code on ration cards. The e-gram centres in 13,000 villages will take biometric impressions to read the barcoded information. Based on the information, each individual will be entitled to government schemes, including receiving ration from public distribution shops."
"The revenue department will take up the job of infusing more information once the civil supplies department finishes work of bar-coded ration cards," a senior department bureaucrat said, adding, "We plan to hire agencies to gather data. We expect the work will start in June and will be completed by early next year." The Union government's National Informatics Centre (NIC) has already prepared software for the whole project.
The new government machinery headed by a class I official , taluka sarkar, and created at the grassroots level for gathering applications for all government schemes, will use UID to disseminate help.
Calling Card
The biometric UID card will have several details of the person, including his income, property, quota benefits, etc. A pilot project has been implemented in Moria village of Banaskantha district The Rs 15-cr project will start in June and is expected to end next year The card will enable the holder access to government schemes, including ration supply.
