Sharvari Patwa :
Mumbai, Sat Aug 17 2013,
Although a majority of the city's population has enrolled for the Unique Identification Number (UID) project, data shows wards comprising areas considered posh have registered lower enrollments.
Enrolment agencies attribute this to lack of time, tedious processes and reluctance to part with personal information.
Data sourced from BMC, the implementing agency for UID in the city, shows that the average enrolment for Aadhaar is 74 per cent in the city. The lowest enrolments have been recorded in Byculla (44 per cent), Grant Road-Malabar Hill-Walkeshwar-Nanachowk-Pedder Road-Breachcandy (47 per cent), Bandra-Santacruz-Khar (East) (54 per cent), Bandra-Santacruz-Khar (West) (57 per cent) and Dadar (West) (52 per cent).
Among the seven zones the city is divided into, Zone III, comprising Bandra (West), Santacruz (West), Bandra (East), Andheri and Jogeshwari (East) have recorded the lowest enrolment at just 58 per cent of the total population of the ward compared with 84 per cent from wards such as Ghatkopar, Bhandup and Mulund, which fall in Zone VI.
"The affluent generally hesitate to provide personal information. For them, the prospect of standing in queue is also not comfortable," said an official from Peerless General Finance and Investment Company UID enrolment centre at Andheri (West).
Of the total population of 1.25 crore in the city, more than 92.5 lakh citizens have enrolled in the UID scheme as of July 2013. "Areas such as Fort and Churchgate register a high UID enrolment rate as there is significant floating non-resident population that registers for Aadhaar near their offices or workplaces," said Prachi Jambhekar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner (In-Charge of UID implementation). "The affluent population in some wards have stayed away from the scheme, but the numbers are picking up," she added.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government recently admitted loss of personal data of nearly three lakh UID applicants. The loss would mean that these people would have to apply again, said a senior civic official.
A matter of identity
Ward Areas Average percentage of
population enrolled until July 2013. (As percentage of total population in the ward)
E Byculla 44
D Marine Drive, Pedder Road,
Malabar Hill 47
H (East) Bandra, 54
Santacruz and Khar (East)
H (West) Bandra Santacruz 57
and Khar (West)
G (North) Dadar, Mahim,Worli 52