2698 - Maharashtra's Aadhaar model of linking govt data to be replicated

Maharashtra's Aadhaar model of linking govt data to be replicated

Sanjay Jog / Mumbai Aug 14, 2012, 00:28 IST The Maharashtra government on Monday got a boost from Unique Identification Authority chief Nandan Nilekani, who said the state's model of linking UID data with citizen-related data compiled by various departments would be replicated across the country. Multiple departments “have data in silos which do not talk to each other” and linking this data with UID would bring in an integrated view and help governments to provide better service to citizens, believes Nilekani. Besides, the UID Authority says the state's registration pace for UID enrolment is well ahead of others. About 40.7 million residents were enrolled in the first phase and the government wants to list 80 per cent of the state's population of 110 million by March 2013. Nilekani, during a meeting with state chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and bureaucrats of various departments, wanted use of the UID for opening no-frill bank accounts, with beneficiaries of various government schemes getting payment through UID-linked bank accounts. A senior official from the state information technology department told Business Standard the central government has selected Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban, Pune, Wardha, Amravati and Nandurbar for such financial inclusion. The government briefed Nilekani about various initiatives in this regard. For instance, in Padgha village of Thane district, with a population below 12,000, the government has conducted a pilot project to make payments directly into bank accounts by only specifying the Aadhaar number. Further, a pilot is underway to make payments through multiple banks by only specifying the Aadhaar number. About 1,400 Aadhaar-linked bank accounts have been opened so far through Bank of India in Colaba, south Mumbai.