Jaideep Deogharia, TNN | Dec 29, 2011, 07.09AM IST
RANCHI: It could be a mere coincidence or strategy of senior officials of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that the trial run for retail payment, including payment of wages for MGNREGA, old age pension and scholarships, has been started in Hazaribag district, the home constituency of chairman of the parliamentary standing committee of finance Yashwant Sinha.
A committee has opined against the National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010 and has urged the Centre to review the UID scheme and bring forth a fresh legislation before Parliament. The UIDAI started functioning by an executive order of the planning department which empowered it to work as an attach office of the Planning Commission. However the Centre decided to legislate to make it a statutory body and brought forward the NIAI bill 2010. The bill was referred to the 21-member standing committee of finance headed by Sinha who expressed apprehensions about the bill particularly with respect to security of data and misuse of the Aadhaar number by residents in India who are not citizens.
Despite the recommendations of the standing committee and notes of dissent by three members Congress national spokesperson Raashid Alvi, Sikkim MP Prem Das Rai and Tamil Nadu MP Manicka Tagore the authority is going ahead with its project in the same speed so as to demonstrate the objectives practically instead of countering the apprehensions in theory.
A high-level team of the UIDAI under the leadership of assistant director general P K Upadhyay is camping in Hazaribag to oversee the process of the trial. Under the trial, MGNREGA workers enrolled with the UID scheme and who have already been issued Aadhaar numbers have been assisted in opening bank account whereas those having bank accounts have been simply linked with their Aadhar numbers. "Now the beneficiary can access his or her account directly by simply giving his Aadhar number," said a senior official of UID who was on a field trial in Hazaribag on Wednesday.
The online verification began in Jharkhand earlier this month at Ratu block of Ranchi district and is currently being carried out in Katkumsandi and Sadar block of Hazaribag districts to be followed by Chandil block in Saraikela district, the home constituency of chief minister Arjun Munda.
Asked about the efficacy of project being implemented without Parliament giving its nod to the NIAI Bill 2010, a senior official of UIDAI said the authority continued to function under the executive order of the department of planning and the bill only aims at giving more teeth and ease of work to the authority.
Independent MP from Jharkhand Inder Singh Namdhari admitted that as the issues raised the standing committee, the Centre must be cautious about bringing a strong legislation so that the immigrants from neighbouring countries don't start misusing the Aadhar number for their benefits. He, however, ruled out the idea of scrapping or rejecting the UID project. "We are waiting for the government to come up with an improved and revised bill considering the recommendations of the standing committee as well as the notes of dissent," he said.
Congress MP Shakil Ahmed said the concept was praised by people across political affiliations and the recommendations of the standing committee was little surprising for them. "We want a general consensus and if the UIDAI is trying to prove its point by practical demonstration of its efficacy, everyone would be relieved of the apprehensions," he said.
A committee has opined against the National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010 and has urged the Centre to review the UID scheme and bring forth a fresh legislation before Parliament. The UIDAI started functioning by an executive order of the planning department which empowered it to work as an attach office of the Planning Commission. However the Centre decided to legislate to make it a statutory body and brought forward the NIAI bill 2010. The bill was referred to the 21-member standing committee of finance headed by Sinha who expressed apprehensions about the bill particularly with respect to security of data and misuse of the Aadhaar number by residents in India who are not citizens.
Despite the recommendations of the standing committee and notes of dissent by three members Congress national spokesperson Raashid Alvi, Sikkim MP Prem Das Rai and Tamil Nadu MP Manicka Tagore the authority is going ahead with its project in the same speed so as to demonstrate the objectives practically instead of countering the apprehensions in theory.
A high-level team of the UIDAI under the leadership of assistant director general P K Upadhyay is camping in Hazaribag to oversee the process of the trial. Under the trial, MGNREGA workers enrolled with the UID scheme and who have already been issued Aadhaar numbers have been assisted in opening bank account whereas those having bank accounts have been simply linked with their Aadhar numbers. "Now the beneficiary can access his or her account directly by simply giving his Aadhar number," said a senior official of UID who was on a field trial in Hazaribag on Wednesday.
The online verification began in Jharkhand earlier this month at Ratu block of Ranchi district and is currently being carried out in Katkumsandi and Sadar block of Hazaribag districts to be followed by Chandil block in Saraikela district, the home constituency of chief minister Arjun Munda.
Asked about the efficacy of project being implemented without Parliament giving its nod to the NIAI Bill 2010, a senior official of UIDAI said the authority continued to function under the executive order of the department of planning and the bill only aims at giving more teeth and ease of work to the authority.
Independent MP from Jharkhand Inder Singh Namdhari admitted that as the issues raised the standing committee, the Centre must be cautious about bringing a strong legislation so that the immigrants from neighbouring countries don't start misusing the Aadhar number for their benefits. He, however, ruled out the idea of scrapping or rejecting the UID project. "We are waiting for the government to come up with an improved and revised bill considering the recommendations of the standing committee as well as the notes of dissent," he said.
Congress MP Shakil Ahmed said the concept was praised by people across political affiliations and the recommendations of the standing committee was little surprising for them. "We want a general consensus and if the UIDAI is trying to prove its point by practical demonstration of its efficacy, everyone would be relieved of the apprehensions," he said.
