STANLEY G PINTOSTANLEY G PINTO, TNN | Dec 13, 2011, 02.47AM IST
MANGALORE: 'Aadhaar' the unique identity number enrolment campaign of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) enrolment scheme, launched by Department of Posts on July and in October by the state government, has not picked up pace going by the numbers that have been enrolled so far.
Both registrars, Department of Posts and the Government of Karnataka (GOK), have only enrolled about 95,521 persons till date of the possible 20 lakh population in the district.
Aadhaar district coordinator Mahadeva Swamy told TOI that lack of equipment was hampering the process and he expected 250 more computers to be allotted to them by this month end. "If we get the infrastructure, we will be able to enroll the district's population in another seven months,'' Swamy said.
As of now, from GOK seven centres with 28 stations (computers) were active and five more with 20 stations were added on Monday, taking the number of centres to 12 and computers for enrolment to 48.
Swamy said: "Each station should get an average of 45 enrolments. Barring two all centres were getting above this number.'' He reasoned that two centres as they were in commercial areas, the enrolment was 25-30 per station. The existing seven were at Urwa Market, Katipalla, Kadri, KS Rao Memorial Trust, Moodabidri and Shirtady. On Monday, centres were opened at Belthangady, Moodabidri, Puttur, Bantwal and Mulky.
Department of Posts Senior Superintendent of Posts (SSPO) TG Naik said in Mangalore division the enrolment was 47,244. "Initially we had good response. From past one month it has petered down,'' he added. In the first phase eight post offices had UIDAI enrolment and this month post offices in Surathkal, Bajpe and Mulky offer UIDAI enrolment.
Sources said that unless people are made aware the usefulness of UIDAI and with enrolment centres being far off, only those who are aware will come for enrolment. Naik adds: "Enrolment centres should be opened in villages or door to door for enrolment should be done. Otherwise it is difficult to cover the entire population.''
Now for UIDAI goof-ups
If you thought goof ups were the sole prerogative of the Election Commission of India while issuing Electoral Photo ID cards, think again. Even the highly tech savvy Aadhaar, the unique identity number enrolment campaign of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is not free from it.
Take the case of Prabhakara Bangera. He got a shock when his UIDAI card had the photograph of an infant instead of his. Bangera, 59, from Derebail, got his UIDAI enrolment done on August 27 at the post office on PM Rao Road here.
The acknowledgement copy (1189/1009/02739) shows his photograph. But when he got his UIDAI card (3965 0142 9714) on December 7, the card had an infant's picture, sitting on the lap of her mother.
Bangera said his wife thought it must be something like the sponsored card, but later the couple realized that it was a mistake. Bangera went to the post office and informed them of the mistake. "The officer called up somebody and said that I should give the original card and I would get another card within a fortnight,'' he said.
Both registrars, Department of Posts and the Government of Karnataka (GOK), have only enrolled about 95,521 persons till date of the possible 20 lakh population in the district.
Aadhaar district coordinator Mahadeva Swamy told TOI that lack of equipment was hampering the process and he expected 250 more computers to be allotted to them by this month end. "If we get the infrastructure, we will be able to enroll the district's population in another seven months,'' Swamy said.
As of now, from GOK seven centres with 28 stations (computers) were active and five more with 20 stations were added on Monday, taking the number of centres to 12 and computers for enrolment to 48.
Swamy said: "Each station should get an average of 45 enrolments. Barring two all centres were getting above this number.'' He reasoned that two centres as they were in commercial areas, the enrolment was 25-30 per station. The existing seven were at Urwa Market, Katipalla, Kadri, KS Rao Memorial Trust, Moodabidri and Shirtady. On Monday, centres were opened at Belthangady, Moodabidri, Puttur, Bantwal and Mulky.
Department of Posts Senior Superintendent of Posts (SSPO) TG Naik said in Mangalore division the enrolment was 47,244. "Initially we had good response. From past one month it has petered down,'' he added. In the first phase eight post offices had UIDAI enrolment and this month post offices in Surathkal, Bajpe and Mulky offer UIDAI enrolment.
Sources said that unless people are made aware the usefulness of UIDAI and with enrolment centres being far off, only those who are aware will come for enrolment. Naik adds: "Enrolment centres should be opened in villages or door to door for enrolment should be done. Otherwise it is difficult to cover the entire population.''
Now for UIDAI goof-ups
If you thought goof ups were the sole prerogative of the Election Commission of India while issuing Electoral Photo ID cards, think again. Even the highly tech savvy Aadhaar, the unique identity number enrolment campaign of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is not free from it.
Take the case of Prabhakara Bangera. He got a shock when his UIDAI card had the photograph of an infant instead of his. Bangera, 59, from Derebail, got his UIDAI enrolment done on August 27 at the post office on PM Rao Road here.
The acknowledgement copy (1189/1009/02739) shows his photograph. But when he got his UIDAI card (3965 0142 9714) on December 7, the card had an infant's picture, sitting on the lap of her mother.
Bangera said his wife thought it must be something like the sponsored card, but later the couple realized that it was a mistake. Bangera went to the post office and informed them of the mistake. "The officer called up somebody and said that I should give the original card and I would get another card within a fortnight,'' he said.