2234 - 600 million people to get UIDs by 2014 -DNA

 Published: Saturday, Jan 21, 2012, 13:37 IST
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA

Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), on Friday, cleared doubts over the fate of Aadhaar project that aims to provide those residing in India with biometric ID cards with 12-digit numbers as a proof of identity and residence.
 
“UIDAI (the government agency responsible for implementing the Aadhaar project) has set a target of issuing Aadhaar cards to 600 million people by 2014. It has already completed verification and enrolled names of about 10 percent of the country’s population for issuing the cards.


The card helps facilities offered by the government reach people in remote villages. The union government will take a call on the project in the upcoming cabinet session,’’ Nilekani explained while speaking with reporters at Aadhaar Technology Centre at Marathahalli. Replying to a question on the fate of the project as the parliamentary standing committee on finance headed by former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who rejected the National Identification Authority of India Bill in December, Nilekani said the government will take note of the committee’s comments and take a final decision.


“We will soon complete 200 million enrolments for the card. Government will tell us what is to be done,” he said.

“Aadhaar cards will empower people besides providing a unique identity. It is the first portable ID card which will be accepted as proof of identity and residence across the country. It will help people avail themselves of services offered by the government,” he added. UIDAI is trying to issue Aadhaar cards cost effectively without compromising on quality, Ram Sewak Sharma, UIDAI director general and mission director, said.


“Initially, the cost of issuing Aadhaar card was `50 per person. This has now come down to `39. The cost of verification per person has come down to `2.8 from `20 earlier. This has brought down the project cost by several thousand crores,” he said.


“This is made possible as we went to the open market and selected agencies for handling verification in a competitive manner instead of giving monopoly to a single player,” he added.