Mahendra Singh | TNN | Apr 2, 2016, 05.52 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Aadhaar enrolments are set to hit the 1-billion mark by this weekend — a landmark achievement that could pave the way for the rollout of the Modi government's ambitious plan to expand the use of unique identification numbers to deliver subsidies and entitlements.
Equipped with statutory backing for Aadhaar after the new law was notified on March 26, the 1-billion milestone will encourage the Centre to universalize UID usage for beneficiaries of welfare schemes which cost an estimated Rs 3.50 lakh crore a year.
The scheme to capture the biometrics of all Indian 'residents', launched with the setting up of the UID Authority in January 2009, has the potential of saving between Rs 50,000 crore and Rs 70,000 crore a year by reducing duplication and leakages, official sources said.
Aadhaar's success is expected to bolster the government's case in the Supreme Court, which has restricted the use of UID to schemes such as MGNREGA, pension disbursal, and Jan Dhan Yojana along with PDS and LPG (cooking gas) distribution. Aadhaar-linked bank accounts are expected to ensure that benefits reach people on confirmation of their identity through the UID authentication system that gives a simple "yes-no" response to a query.
Top Comment
Media, both print & Electronic, cigar chewing arm chair critics, Congress & the entire 'ghatbandandhan' fringe parties, good for nothing likes of Nayan Tara intellectuals are either blind or deaf or both, not to 'notice' a huge 'change' in national governance then we Indians don't deserve a 'clean' government. Adhar, perhaps incorrectly assessed by Modi prior to May'14, has made a course correction and has turned tables on yet another UPA half hearted initiative. Now nearly a billion Indians are 'connected to Adhar' and shall bear the fruits in coming months / years. Even its creator has publicly admitted that NDA has made a very security tight and usable platform, particularly for those who get government subsidy. The 'middle man' is the most angry (read Congress) group as they thrived under UPA umbrella. The IAS 'babus' are scared to take 'gratuity' from the end user because they were under the 'scanner', which is dubbed by the above named as a 'police state'. They have no idea what a 'police state' is. Days of Soviet Rule, Chines Rule, & Nazi Germany were a few examples. Because of ignorance the Congress & Co term today's India as 'Hitler country'. These guys are nonplussed as this government is functioning well on it's long term agenda. Not 60 years but around 5 years. We have to give NDA at least 5 years of elected term and they have to provide their 'report card' then and if they 'fail', they will have to GO and perhaps, we 'stupid Indians' will reverse the progress by, perhaps electing at 'pot purl' government and we will just have to lump it then.
Navin Mithal
Use of Aadhaar as a know-your-customer (KYC) verification is likely to make opening of bank accounts, particularly for the poor, much easier. The milestone will accelerate the Centre's financial inclusion schemes envisaged as the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity by bringing welfare programmes on the UID platform much before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The target is to enrol all eligible residents — 1.1billion — by 2016-end, paving the way to bring all welfare schemes under the Aadhaar platform.