Vikas Dhoot, ET Bureau Oct 10, 2011, 05.55am IST
As the government seeks a radical transformation in how it transmits Rs 3,00,000 crore of annual welfare spends, a lot rests on the shoulders of former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani. As the chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), he has to assign unique identity numbers for all Indians before a new subsidy regime of direct cash transfers can take off.
But the UIDAI has run into its first spell of rough weather in recent weeks. The finance ministry has rejected its Rs 15,000 crore demand to capture biometrics of 1.2 billion residents through its registrars, citing duplication of expenditure as the census office is also doing this for the National Population Register (NPR). The Planning Commission, accountable to Parliament for the UIDAI's expenditure, has said the authority's structure goes against government procedures.
But the UIDAI has run into its first spell of rough weather in recent weeks. The finance ministry has rejected its Rs 15,000 crore demand to capture biometrics of 1.2 billion residents through its registrars, citing duplication of expenditure as the census office is also doing this for the National Population Register (NPR). The Planning Commission, accountable to Parliament for the UIDAI's expenditure, has said the authority's structure goes against government procedures.