Jaideep Deogharia, TNN Aug 28, 2012, 06.41AM IST
RANCHI: Several months after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) started its project for enrollment and distribution of Aadhaar cards to citizens in Jharkhand, the state government has now decided to make it mandatory for payment of salary and pension to state employees. The move seems to have given the necessary impetus to the enrolment process which was, otherwise, slow during the second phase.
Long queues could be seen at the permanent enrollment centres on Monday who arrived here after obtaining information about the functioning of permanent centres from various sources. The process of enrollment that was being carried out through agencies and by holding camps in different parts of the state got good response of people and the registrars (government representatives) along with UIDAI office in Jharkhand completed the target of enrolling 80 lakh people by January 2012 which was well ahead of the target set for March 31.
The process became slow once UIDAI decided to withhold the process once the target was completed. It was after launch of second phase in April 2012 that the process of the enrollment progressed at a slow pace.
At present nine permanent counters for enrollment and collection of biometric details are functioning in Ranchi district further subdivided into urban and rural pockets. For Ranchi urban four centres -- one each at General Post Office, Ranchi, GPO Doranda, AG office Doranda and at Commerce Tower, main road -- are operational. Under urban category two centres for Namkom -- one at post office at NIFFT campus, Hatia and another at post office at Namkom Bazar, whereas for Kanke -- one centre on Ranchi University campus is operational. For the rural populace one centre each has been opened at Knke and Silli.
Sunil Kumar Baxi, In-charge at the commerce tower enrollment centre, said the rate of enrollment was slow initially but it picked pace since August 25. "We enrolled 107 people since the centre became operational on August 4 and on Monday as many as 100 people came for enrollment," he said. Admitting that the level of awareness about the enrollment centres, particularly in the wake of lack of advertisement or dissemination of required information, Baxi said people not having access to internet are facing trouble. "Many of them come to inquire what formalities they have to fulfil to get enrolled," he said.
Officials at UIDAI office here said details about Aadhaar enrollment were available on the official website of UIDAI. "A person can go to any authorized Aadhaar enrollment centre anywhere in India with an identity and address proof. UIDAI process accepts 18 documents as proof of identity and 33 documents as proof of address," the official said.
