By Cithara Paul
22 Dec 2011 02:08:09 AM IST
NEW DELHI: The much-touted Nandan Nilekani -headed UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) for implementing the ambitious Aadhaar scheme, a unique identification project, is quite likely to end up as a technical wing of the Union Home Ministry(MHA) if the line of thinking that emerged at Wednesday’s Planning Commission special meeting was any indication.
The Planning Ministry had convened the meeting specifically to decide on the fate of the UIDAI against the backdrop of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance’s rejection of the National Identification Authority of India Bill(NIAI) meant to provide legal backing to the Aadhaar project and its intention to use biometrics for creating a unique identity for each and every resident of the country.
“The emerging opinion from the meeting was that the entire enrolment part should be handed over to the National Population Register under the MHA and that the UID must be allotted the work of verification of data collected,” a ministry source revealed.
According to him, more meetings have been planned to decide on the fate of the UID in the wake of the Parliamentary Panel’s decision.
The Standing Committee had slammed the NIAI Bill terming it as ‘directionless.’ Even as it suggested that the Government bring in a fresh Bill, the committee said the Bill and the project were not acceptable in its present form.