4936 - No end to confusion over Aadhaar - TNN

No end to confusion over Aadhaar

Prakash Samaga, TNN Nov 10, 2013, 04.36AM IST

UDUPI: LPG consumers and dealers are an angry lot. Added to the delay in issual of Aadhaar cards, the recent Supreme Court ruling that Aadhaar should not be linked to domestic gas subsidy has only angered them more with no clarity coming from the district administration on the issue.

Though the district administration in Udupi had announced that all the LPG consumers must link their Aadhaar numbers to their bank account and with their LPG dealer to avail the subsidy money, the pace of implementing the Aadhaar-linked subsidy scheme for LPG has not picked up in Udupi following the Supreme Court's recent ruling that the unique number cannot be made mandatory for any welfare schemes.

However, with no clarity on the issue, the LPG dealers and the consumers are in confusion as they are not sure of what to be followed, either to go ahead by linking their Aadhar numbers or adhere to the Supreme Court's order

Deputy commissioner M T Reju says as the Supreme Court has maintained that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for availing social welfare benefits, the district administration cannot make it mandatory. He added that LPG dealers cannot ask consumers to provide Aadhaar card anymore.

The direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme was introduced in Udupi district on October 1 and the administration had given three months grace period.

An LPG dealer, who refused to be identified, says that his petroleum company insists that all their consumers link their Aadhaar numbers to their bank account if they want the subsidy remitted. Says he: ''I have 10,000 LPG consumers and around 1,000 of them have linked their Aadhaar numbers. The rest have not done so citing the apex court's order. So I have not been forcing them to link their Aadhaar numbers for LPG subsidy,'' putting the onus on the district administration for further clarification on the issue.

K Subba Rao, lead district chief manager, Udupi, told STOI that there are 1,74,500 LPG connections in the district and 17,000 of them have linked their Aadhar numbers to both bank account and with their LPG dealers for availing LPG subsidy. ''Banks in the district are not forcing their customers to link their Aadhaar numbers to their bank account, however we have been accepting from those who voluntarily came forward,'' he explained. He added that consumers who link their Aadhaar numbers need to ensure that the bank account they give for availing subsidy is operative.

4934 - No retrospective LPG subsidy: Oil companies - TNN

No retrospective LPG subsidy: Oil companies

TNN Nov 9, 2013, 01.58AM IST

HYDERABAD: Even as a majority of LPG consumers are brimming with grievances ever since the Centre decided to link the supply of gas and subsidy to the Aadhaar card, three oil companies have made it clear they cannot pay the subsidy with retrospective effect.

The authorities had announced that subsidy will not be given to those who did not link their Aadhaar cards with their bank accounts and LPG dealer by September 1, 2013. However, the oil companies - Bharat Petroleum limited ( BPL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation limited ( HPCL) and Indian Oil Company ( IOC) - have further said they cannot pay retrospective subsidies to those whose Aadhaar cards are still pending. "There is no provision to make such payments with the petroleum and natural gas ministry," said an official.

The companies are firm in their stand despite requests by the state civil supplies officials who are being flooded by complaints for non-receipt of LPG subsidies. "We requested the oil companies to pay the subsidy amount to consumers with retrospective effect from September 1 at least in cases where the consumers did not get their subsidy in spite of getting their Aadhaar linked. However, they did not respond positively," Hyderabad district chief ration officer Padma said.

Meanwhile, the consumers continue to suffer. "I got enrolled for Aadhaar several months ago but got my card only in October. In the meantime, I purchased two cylinders at full rate after expiry of August 31 deadline. But now, the oil companies are refusing to repay the subsidy for earlier months," said K Sudhakar, a Chikkadpally resident.

Other consumers complained that they linked their Aadhaar cards with LPG distributors and banks way before the deadline but got the subsidy only in October end. "What happens to the subsidy for the earlier two cylinders I purchased on the full amount?" asked a resident.

4927 - Aadhar links for LPG customers a far cry - TNN

Aadhar links for LPG customers a far cry

Abhilash Botekar, TNN Nov 4, 2013, 05.27AM IST

NASHIK: Only 4% of the LPG customers in the district have been linked to Aadhaar (Unique Identity Number, UID) and their bank accounts under the Direct Benefit Transfer LPG (DBTL), even as there are as many as 1.64 lakh customers with Aadhaar cards.

The district has nearly 10.03 lakh LPG customers who have their bank accounts under the DBTL. To get the subsidy delivered directly into their account, the customers are required to update the Aadhaar number with the LPD dealer and also furnish their bank account number

The process of linking the LPG account with Aadhar numbers began in September, for which, nearly 40 Aadhaar processing kits were given at LPG dealerships by the district administration.

However, by the first of November 2013, when the DBTL scheme was to be implemented by the central government, only 44,000 customers had updated the records of bank accounts and Aadhaar numbers, district supply officer Mahesh Patil said.

So far, a large number of customers have linked their bank accounts with the LPG accounts. Of these, many are yet to link their Aadhaar numbers as well, since processing of the Aadhaar number itself is a lengthy and a time consuming procedure.

Meanwhile, subsidies to those with LPG accounts linked to Aadhaar and bank accounts are already being provided. Every year, the central government will deposit the value of subsidy of maximum of nine cylinders in the bank account of the LPG customer as and when the customer books the cylinder. For example, a customer with the LPG account linked with his bank account and Aadhaar number, goes to buy a cylinder at the market rate of Rs 1,000, will be paid back the subsidy amount, say Rs 500, in his bank account by the government. The fresh subsidy will start and end with respect to the financial year. After January 2014, those who have not linked their bank accounts and Aadhaar numbers to the LPG accounts will not be applicable for subsidized rates.

As per the government decision, Aadhaar was made mandatory for customers to get LPG subsidy. In Nashik, November 2013 was the deadline, with a grace period of three months, to ensure that all LPG account holders updated their Aadhaar numbers and bank accounts. "Citizens who have their accounts linked with the Aadhaar number and bank accounts will get the subsidy, while those not linked so far, will not be getting the subsidy after the grace period ends. There have been no specific directions by the central government on the decision of the Supreme Court, which had said that Aadhaar was not compulsory to get any subsidy. We hope the issue will be sorted out by the end of the grace period -January end 2014," an official from the supply office said.

4920 - SC ruling on Aadhaar-LPG unlikely to bring relief - TNN

SC ruling on Aadhaar-LPG unlikely to bring relief

Sribala Vadlapatla, TNN Nov 5, 2013, 04.08AM IST

HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court ruling that Aadhaar card cannot be made mandatory for people to get subsidy under the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG consumer (DBTL) scheme is unlikely to provide relief as the ministry of petroleum and natural gas is planning to continue direct linkage of LPG connections with bank accounts, according to senior ministry officials.

Under the DBTL scheme, a consumer gets LPG cylinders at market price and the subsidy is transferred to the linked bank account for nine subsidised cylinders in a year. Consumers were also asked to link their Aadhaar cards to avail the subsidy. One of the major problems with the system was that many consumers were still to get their Aadhaar numbers. The apex court ruling proved a welcome step for them. However, with the petroleum ministry planning to continue the bank-LPG linkage, consumers would be forced to put up with the host of other problems plaguing the scheme.

Several consumers have failed to get the subsidy even after linking their Aadhaar numbers with the bank and gas dealer. "I linked my Aadhaar to my LPG connection in August before the scheme came into force. However, this has been of no use as no subsidy has been transferred for the three cylinders that I purchased," said P Sunita, a techie.

People are being made to pay the market price of Rs 1,096 per cylinder but many are not getting the money back as was promised. "The scheme is not of much use. They should directly sell the cylinders at the subsidised rate," said V Vishuvardhan Rao, a consumer.

Some consumers also pointed out that it is difficult to even check the status of the subsidy on the common portal of the three gas companies. "Sometimes, the portal does not show proper data," said S Raja Reddy, another consumer.

Meanwhile, officials said there was a delay in interlinking the bank accounts with the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), which acts as the interface for transactions between various banks for LPG subsidy.

"The banks are taking more time than required to map the accounts of the customers to NPCI," official sources said.

"The subsidy pattern may be continued as it is easy to gather the consumer's bank details form gas agency," said a ministry official.

4919 - Fresh roadblock for Aadhaar - TNN

Fresh roadblock for Aadhaar

Ajanta Chakraborty, TNN Nov 5, 2013, 01.35AM IST

KOLKATA: Get set for a fresh round of confusion if you still haven't got your Aadhaar. The decision to set up enrolment camps at LPG distribution centres in Kolkata, Howrah and Cooch Behar has been put on hold after chief minister Mamata Banerjee's call for a "rethink" on the direct-benefit-transfer for LPG scheme.

The decision to set up Aadhaar enrolment camps at LPG distribution centres in Kolkata, Howrah and Cooch Behar has been put on hold now that chief minister Mamata Banerjee has called for a rethink on the direct-benefit-transfer (DBT) for LPG scheme.

On Friday, the chief minister had said Aadhaar must not be made compulsory for receiving LPG gas subsidy. More than a month back, the Supreme Court had dealt a crippling blow to the UPA's showpiece project by ruling that it could only be issued to those with proven Indian nationality and cannot be made mandatory for accessing public services and subsidies.

The problem is, the petroleum ministry is determined to go ahead with the scheme, leaving lakhs of consumers in the lurch. The ministry insists on making the current system of subsidized gas cylinders valid for non-Aadhaar-linked consumers only for the next three months.

Under the circumstances, the only ray of hope for the lakhs in Bengal who haven't yet got the Aadhaar is the next Supreme Court hearing on November 12.

On September 18, at the first-ever comprehensive meeting at Writers' Buildings on linking the Aadhaar number to the LPG subsidy, all stakeholders had agreed to set up enrolment camps at 46 LPG distribution centres in the three Bengal districts where the scheme was due to be launched from November 1. Only 68% of Kolkata residents are Aadhaar-registered and, according to data available with the oil companies, there are over 12 lakh LPG consumers in the city.

But now, the registrar general of India and the census directorate have referred Mamata's stance to the ministry of home affairs, along with similar views aired by Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa (she has already shot off a letter against the direct benefit transfer scheme to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh).

Considering the two CMs' strong opposition to the petroleum ministry's decision to bulldoze direct benefit transfer despite the Supreme Court ruling, the MHA has deferred setting up camps at LPG distribution centres, said sources.

In the backdrop of the apex court ruling and the petroleum ministry's insistence that after the grace period of three months, a person who does not have an Aadhaar can no longer receive LPG subsidy, Mamata, while saying that the Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory for subsidy, she also threatened to ghearao the IOC regional headquarters in Kolkata.

Her government is also likely to voice its stance at a meeting with petroleum ministry representatives on November 11 at Nabanna, where officials from the registrar-general of India's office and the census directorate and oil companies will be present, said sources.

In both Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the National Population Register (NPR)-based registration is being implemented through the census directorate, under the MHA. Confusion and slow-paced implementation has been prevailing as the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) - under the Planning Commission - has been entrusted with issuing the 12-digit Aadhaar number in several states.

Sushanta Mukherjee, president, West Bengal LPG Distributors Association, said: "We wonder when the camps will come up. They would have ensured maximum enrolment of Aadhaar." An oil company source added: "We are ready to provide the space for the enrolment camps, but the onus of the enrolment lies with the NPR. UIDAI has been organizing these camps, which would have gone a long way in the Aadhaar rollout. All the consumer would have done was to come to the centres with the blue books and Aadhaar numbers would have been issued."

4911 - Aadhaar card must not be made compulsory: Mamata - TNN

Aadhaar card must not be made compulsory: Mamata

PTI Nov 1, 2013, 05.18PM IST

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the Aadhaar card must not be made compulsory to receive LPG gas subsidy and called for immediate review of the oil ministry's move.

"Aadhaar card must not be made compulsory. Only 15 to 20 per cent of the people have received the card," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat here.

"I am told that there is a verdict of the Supreme Court that it cannot be made compulsory by the government for obtaining benefits and subsidies," she said.

"I do not know how the government is violating the order. The government should immediately review the decision," the chief minister said.

Reacting to an advertisement given by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas in the day's newspapers linking LPG subsidy to Aadhaar card for Kolkata, Howrah and Coochbehar districts with immediate effect, she said "I am really shocked to see this attitude of the (central) government."

"I am requesting the Prime Minister to look into the issue," she said.

"People are not beggars, one party will not continue, but the government will continue. The government must take care of the people," she said taking a dig at the UPA government at the Centre.

4907 - 3-month window for Aadhaar enrolment in Kolkata - TNN

3-month window for Aadhaar enrolment in Kolkata

Suman Chakraborti, TNN Oct 31, 2013, 04.47AM IST

KOLKATA: Petroleum companies are sticking to the November 1 deadline for LPG customers to have Aadhaar Card enrolment for the subsidy transfer when Aadhaar enrolment in the state stands at a poor 41%.

However, there will be a window of three months for those who are yet to get enrolled. After this period, LPG customers with or without Aadhaar registration have to buy cylinders at the market rate (ranging from Rs 930 to Rs 950).

The state government had earlier asked the two nodal agencies - ECIL and ITI - to complete the entire process of enrolment and distribution of Aadhaar cards by February 28. According to figures till October 15, only 41% of the population has been covered and a meager 26.55% cards have been generated so far. Only in two districts - in Howrah and Cooch Behar - that the percentage of enrolment has crossed the 70% mark. The process of enrolment and generation of cards have been very slow in three Jangalmahal districts.

Aadhaar-linked cash transfer of subsidy to banks will start in Kolkata, Howrah and Cooch Behar from Friday. But as of now, the average enrolment with the respective LPG dealers is very low in all these districts. Indian Oil DGM (LPG) R N Ghosh said the picture is dismal for Kolkata with Aadhaar registration of only 3.5%. "Out of 6.5 lakh customers of IOC in the city (excluding Salt Lake), Aadhaar registration has been completed for 23,000 customers," he added. Aadhaar registration figure in Howrah is 9% for IOC while it is relatively better in Cooch Behar (16.5%).

A Bharat Petroleum Corporation ( BPCL) official added that the figure was 3% each in Kolkata and Howrah while it was 5% for Cooch Behar. The figure is more or less same for Hindustan Petroleum.

The state has been lagging behind other states in terms of enrolment. Work in Bengal was hampered several times due to back-to-back elections. No work could be done for three months due to the panchayat elections and then again for polls in 14 municipalities. Again, there was almost no more progress in the last one month due to the various festivities.

Aadhar card enrollment and generation in different districts

enrollment generation

Kolkata - 61.32 % 55.73 %

North 24 Parganas - 28.82 % 10.79 %

South 24 Parganas - 34.4 % 23.88 %

Bankura - 12.81 % 4.44 %

Birbhum - 32.9 % 8.30 %

Darjeeling - 31.44 % 26.17 %

Malda - 42.29 % 35.57 %

Purulia - 18.2 % 7.68 %

4900 - 'State can save 1k cr if Aadhaar used for DBT' - TNN

'State can save 1k cr if Aadhaar used for DBT'

Sonali Das, TNN Oct 25, 2013, 12.45PM IST 

Jharkhand chief secretary RS Sharma, who was formerly the director general of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), speaks to TOI's Sonali Das on the 12-digit individual identification number and its use for direct benefit transfer to beneficiaries.

What is Aadhaar?

Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the UIDAI that serves as a proof of identity and address anywhere in the country. Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident of India and satisfies the verification process laid down by UIDAI, can enrol for Aadhaar. Each individual needs to enroll only once which is free of cost. Each number will be unique to an individual and will remain valid for life. It will help provide access to banking services, mobile phone connections and other government and non-government services.

Can you outline its objectives?

For many people in India, non-possession of any ID document makes it difficult for them to have access to many services and Aadhaar fills this gap. The objective of Aadhaar is to create an identity platform which is inclusive, improves governance and service delivery and provides access to formal systems of service delivery.

The government has decided to use Aadhaar in direct benefit transfers to beneficiaries. Why?

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) refers to a situation where the benefit is transferred to beneficiaries' account using Aadhaar as financial address. One can use Aadhaar to open a bank account and as the address to transfer money. It ensures that the money goes into that account only. By using Aadhaar authentication, one can withdraw the money, thus facilitating banking at your door-step. It also ensures that only the depositor can draw the money as it requires his presence and finger-prints at the time of withdrawal.

Last, it provides an end-to-end tracking of the money from the time of crediting into one's account till the withdrawal. One of the least understood and transformational aspects of DBT and Aadhaar-enabled service delivery is the 'portability' that it offers to customers. Portability, which means giving power to the customer to choose the service-provider, changes the power equation and strikes on the very cause of corruption and rent-seeking. Current technology and model does not support it.

But Aadhaar-enabled PDS will be able to ensure this as now your identity and ration eligibility is online! Aadhaar proposes to bring this portability in areas where it was not possible earlier.

Government benefits from this in two ways. First, duplicates and fakes are eliminated cleaning the delivery system. Second, if it is a subsidy domain (like LPG cylinder at subsidized rates), then the dual pricing goes away and there is no scope for diversion of subsidized cylinders to non-subsidized usage.

If Aadhaar is used with DBT, how much in public funds the state government can save and how?

The state is implementing a number of programmes where subsidies/benefits are distributed among people. Some are in kind, like in PDS and agricultural inputs, and others are in cash like social security pensions, scholarships, MNREGA wages, money for Indira Awaas Yojana, among others. Though it will be difficult to provide an exact figure of expenditure, average annual expenditure on these will be Rs 5,000 crore per annum. Even by taking an average of 20%, we save a sum of Rs 1,000 crore, just through elimination of duplicates and fakes.

4891 - Govt may rename PDS after Indira Gandhi - TNN

Govt may rename PDS after Indira Gandhi

PTI Oct 16, 2013, 06.42PM IST

NEW DELHI: The government is considering a proposal to rename the public distribution system after Indira Gandhi to prevent opposition parties from taking credit for implementing the National Food Security Act.

"There is a proposal to rename the existing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)," food minister K V Thomas said. "There are many suggestions like Indiramma Anna Yojana and Annapurna Scheme. We are considering Indiramma Anna Yojana and a final decision on it has not been taken yet."

With Lok Sabha elections not far away, the thinking in the Congress-led UPA government is that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's name would help it electorally in view of her pro-poor image.

The food security law, a brainchild of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, could be projected as the unfinished task of Indira Gandhi's 'Garibi Hatao' campaign launched in the 1971 elections.

The minister said the name of the food law would not be changed because that would require an amendment.

"We are going to change the name of the scheme and not the law," Thomas said, adding that he is discussing the issue with rural development minister Jairam Ramesh.

Apart from renaming the PDS, Thomas said the government is considering having a logo for the scheme for better reach.

Last month, Parliament passed the food law to give 67 per cent of the population the right to subsidised foodgrains.

Each eligible person would get five kilograms of foodgrains per month at Rs 3 per kg of rice, Rs 2 per kg of wheat and Re 1 per kg of coarse cereals through the state government under the TPDS.

Congress leaders want the government to ensure that non-Congress parties don't take credit for schemes run and funded by the Centre. They have complained about BJP-ruled states such as Chattisgarh taking credit for the food law.

Congress-ruled Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have already announced the launch of the food law. Other states preparing to roll it out.

4888 - Aadhaar linking delayed, poor unable to buy cylinders for Rs 1,100 - TNN

Aadhaar linking delayed, poor unable to buy cylinders for Rs 1,100

Ashish Roy, TNN Oct 25, 2013, 03.36AM IST

NAGPUR: The central government's decision to charge the market price for gas cylinders from this month has wreaked havoc upon the poor, with many unable to cough up Rs 1,100 to buy a cylinder.

Until September, a cylinder cost Rs 450 as the gas companies sold it at a subsidized price. Even now, if you had booked one in September you will get it at this price. But for bookings done in October, the consumer will have to pay the market price while the difference of Rs 650 will be deposited in his or her account. However, this will happen only when your gas agency and bank account are linked to your Aadhaar card.

In many cases, poor people have not filled up the forms as they thought cylinders would be available at subsidized rates till December 31. However, this is the last date for linking. Oil companies have already started selling cylinders at the market price.

Some of the poor consumer have completed the formalities but the linking has not happened within a week as promised. This has forced some of them to refuse a refill.

"I had filled up forms in the first week of October. I went to the bank on Monday to ask about linking, but they said it was yet to take place. The clerk told me that it would take some more time. In any case there was no need to worry till January, he said. However, when the gas delivery man came to my place today he asked for Rs 1,100 and said that the subsidy would be deposited in my account. I didn't have this amount. Next month, when I get my salary I will go to the gas agency and request a refill," said Pushpa Bhagat of Jattarodi.

Chandabai Verma of Bhamti said that she didn't know cylinders would be available at market rates from October itself. "The gas agency people told me that I had to fill up the forms before December 31. There was no news in the newspapers either. This is injustice to poor people. I had saved only Rs 450 for the cylinder. I had to refuse a refill. I don't know how I'll manage if I don't get a refill early next month," she said.

4874 - Banks and Aadhaar - TNN

Banks and Aadhaar

Mayur Shetty 

22 October 2013, 12:59 AM IST

Banks and the government’s Aadhhar project have had a symbiotic relationship since its launch in 2009.   For the government, banks were integral to the concept of direct benefit transfer – the raison d'être for Aadhaar and banks on their part supported the scheme as this would open up a whole new market for them.

The regulator Reserve Bank of India’s attitude has however swung from ambivalence to being a strong supporter. In September 2011, it told banks that they must obtain proof of address even if an applicant produces an Aadhaar card.  But soon thereafter it said that the Aadhaar card was good enough for both address and identity proof. More recently, it approved eKYC where the bank does not even need the Aadhaar card but the number and a biometric authentication which will be good enough for opening a new bank account without any other document. It has also asked banks to ensure that all ATMs have the capability to facilitate  Aadhaar authentication.  In his opening statement, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan articulated how he foresaw Aadhaar being used to build up individual credit profiles by linking credit histories to Aadhaar numbers.

It is true that Aadhaar opens endless possibilities in financial inclusion. Biometric authentication would allow even those with mere numeric literacy operate ATMs and withdraw funds without cards. To an unbanked segment that is illiterate, it is superior to the PIN feature as the concept of password secrecy and liability for sharing passwords need not be instilled on the customer. Linking credit profiles to Aadhaar would allow borrowers to walk into a branch and verify his loan eligibility with a mere thumb scan.   Banks can using eKYC do away with detailed application forms or photocopies as they would be pulling all information including photograph into their systems without having to bother about even data entry.

But at some level there are concerns. By tying up so many aspects of banking to an infant system the headroom for errors are considerably reduced.  This is risky as history has demonstrated that well intended security measures have the potential to fail. For instance a decade ago, Sony had launched copy-proof CDs in its battle against copyright violation. As it turned out the CDs could be copied by scribbling around the rim of the disk with a marker pen. In June this year, Jacob Appelbaum, computer security researcher and a spokesperson for WikiLeaks had claimed in an interview that it costs less than a dollar to get a transferable fingerprint.

A banker in the credit card division of bank points out that when credit card gets skimmed it can be hot listed and replaced but a biometric print is for life. The other weakness appears to be that a system does not appear to be in place for constant updation of individual information.  At present individuals are enrolled into the UIDAI through camps there are no permanent channels that are available for individuals. A system is not in place yet for issuing Aadhaar numbers along with a birth certificate. RBI’s norms require that banks periodically verify an individuals address as part of know your customer guidelines.  UIDAI however has not put in place an infrastructure for periodic checks for any change in address of those who are issued a number.

In the case of security of transactions, RBI has historically not dictated any format but merely said that banks need to have in place multi-factor authentication. This means that a card transaction should require a card swipe, a signature and a pin. Rather than dictate what the additional factor should be the best way forward would be to allow banks decide on the factor that works best.  Translated into English Aadhaar stands for base or foundation. Before building superstructure on it, the government needs to let Aadhaar set properly.

4867 - Nagpur leads in Aadhaar linking - TNN

Nagpur leads in Aadhaar linking

Shishir Arya, TNN | Oct 21, 2013, 02.02 AM IST

NAGPUR: In the race to link bank accounts of LPG consumers with their Aadhaar card under the government's direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme, Nagpur district has emerged as the countrywide leader, at least in absolute numbers.

Nagpur district, which has been included in the Phase 3 of the project launched on October 4, has surpassed even those covered in the earlier phase. Out of over 10 lakh LPG connections in the entire district, so far four lakh have been linked with the consumers' Aadhaar numbers. Of these, bank accounts of two lakh consumers have been also linked with Aadhaar to complete the process, said district collector Saurabh Rao. This is highest in absolute terms, he said.

If the Phase 1, a pilot project started a year ago, is not considered, Nagpur district is the national leader in Phase 2 and 3 that cover 150 districts. The full-fledged roll out began only with Phase 2 in September, said a source involved in monitoring the process.

The Aadhaar-linking project for direct transfer of the cooking gas subsidy is to be done in six phases. Each phase will be launched every month till January finally covering 600 districts in the country.

Each district has four months to complete the linking process. So, if Nagpur was covered in the Phase 3 launched in October, by January all connections have to be covered. Those left out will have to buy a LPG cylinder by paying the full price. For districts included in Phase 4 to be launched in November, February-end is the deadline and April for those in Phase 6.

In percentage terms, Gondia is the leader with 55% of the LPG connections there linked with the Aadhaar number and 39% with bank accounts. But Gondia is leader only in Phase 3 though ahead of many other districts of Phase 2.

If overall performance of the country is considered, 46% and 27% of the LPG connections have been linked with Aadhaar number and bank accounts respectively in Phase 2. In Phase 3, it is 26.2% and 10.2%.

Saurabh Rao said that in order to ensure that the linking process was completed at the earliest, the banks have been asked to carryout data entry work even on holidays. Several meetings have been held with the oil marketing companies (OMCs), which vend LPG cylinders to speed up the process.

"In Gondia district, one of the key measures was that the application forms were distributed along through newspaper delivery agents for two days in a row. Apart from it, supply officers were posted at LPG agencies and now there are plans to organize a door-to-door campaign at fair price shops to cover those left out," said Gondia district collector Amit Saini.

Race against time

* Nagpur leads in absolute terms with 4 lakh LPG connections and 2 lakh bank accounts linked with Aadhaar.

* Gondia is highest in percentage terms with 55% connections linked with Aadhaar and 39% bank accounts covered.

* The process involves linking both bank accounts and LPG connections with Aadhaar.

* Consumers in Nagpur district not covered till January will have to pay full price for LPG cylinder.

* Currently the Phase 3 is under way, the next phase will be launched in November.

* The project will be completed in six phases to be launched each month till January.

* Each district will have four months to finish the job.

4866 - Teen codes for government schools fund - TNN

Teen codes for government schools fund

Shilpa Phadnis, TNN | Oct 20, 2013, 04.13 AM IST

BANGALORE: No teachers, no teaching aids, chipped walls, classrooms in a state of disrepair and despair. Seventeen-year-old Nischal Nadhamuni saw how broken Bangalore's government schools were, saw the stark contrast they presented with the school he was privileged to go to. And decided to do something about it.

Nischal is using technology to make government schools in Bangalore work better. The 12th grade student at Mallya Aditi International School has developed a crowd-funding platform called School Works that donors around the world can use to make contributions to these schools. And it offers opportunities for people to volunteer to help the schools.

Nischal has begun by mapping 18 government schools in Bangalore East. The site provides each school's activity calendar and some of its requirements. "Many schools I visited needed help with stationery, teachers' aids and sports equipment. This triggered the idea of designing donor funding kits that would be useful to schools," Nischal says.

The kits are available in multiple categories including students' stationery, teachers' stationery, notebooks, cricket and football kits, water purifier and portable lights. The donations can be as low as $6 (Rs 315) for a football; and it can go up to $45 (Rs 2,695) for a water purifier. The stationery and notebook kits are less than $20 each.

Nischal has partnered with Open India Foundation, an education-focused NGO, and San Francisco-based Indians for Collective Action to offer tax breaks to India and US based donors and manage the payment processing. "The students in these schools might have to go through a lot of struggles every day, but they are brimming with enthusiasm," Nischal says. The initiative has collected $500 in the last two months.

Nischal made headlines last year when he scored 100 per cent in SAT, the most widely used college admission test in the US. He received a SAT score of 2,400 out of 2,400 in his first attempt, making him one of the few worldwide to have scored full marks.

Before he ventured into SchoolWorks, Nischal studied the District Information System for Education (DISE), a government database with over 1.3 million records of the various government schools all over the country. "I started work on SchoolWorks in 2011. I had grand plans, but realized soon that I was biting more than I could chew. I made mistakes and learnt from them," he admits.

Nishcal's initial idea was to use Aadhaar to track the effectiveness of the midday meal scheme. The idea presumably came to him because his father Srikanth Nadhamuni had played a leading role in UIDAI (the organization that provides Aadhaar numbers). But that project did not take off. "I wanted to have a biometric kiosk in schools to track the effectiveness of midday meals. I even thought of having video conferencing equipment in schools to connect volunteer tutors in the US to teach these students. I realized the complexity of Aadhaar and decided it would be better to do something else," he says.

Nischal started coding in HTML, Javascript, PHP, Java, and MySQL in his ninth grade. "These languages implement the features that were necessary for SchoolWorks," he says. He enhanced his coding skills in Java by taking up the Advanced Placement Computer Science course and test. All this came handy when he interned at the MIT Computer Science department, where he developed and implemented algorithms.

Nischal wants to expand his volunteer circle from the current 18. "I am spreading the word through social media," he says.

He attributes his social awareness to the weekly classes in socially useful productive work (SUPW) in Mallya Aditi. "We go to a government school in Yelahanka to teach spoken English. We also visited a school for children of Sri Lankan refugees in the city to understand their requirements," he says.

"I think people should volunteer in areas they are comfortable in. It helps people who are not as privileged as you. Many of my friends are volunteering to make a difference and their tribe will only grow," he says.

He wants to pursue an engineering degree in computer science in Stanford University or MIT. "The competition to get into one of them will be tough. So I have other options too," he says. "I don't plan too far into the future. If I come across a cool idea, I could even turn an entrepreneur."

He has ten months to work out how he will keep his donor platform, SchoolWorks, going if he heads abroad for studies. "I want to keep it alive at any cost," he says.

4865 - Kozhikode corporation drive to ensure Aadhaar-pension linking - TNN

Kozhikode corporation drive to ensure Aadhaar-pension linking

TNN Oct 20, 2013, 12.48AM IST

KOZHIKODE: The city corporation will soon launch a special drive to ensure linking of Aadhaar card numbers of pension beneficiaries to their bank accounts.

The initiative has been taken after the corporation authorities found that many of the pension beneficiaries within the corporation limits are yet to link their Aadhaar card numbers with their respective bank accounts even when the government has made the linking mandatory. The government had issued a directive asking the people to link their Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts for electronic benefit transfer (EBT) of various pension schemes.

Authorities said they have already held talks with the officials of the Akshaya centres in this regard. They would initiate steps to help pensioners, especially the bed-ridden people in the city corporation limit to get their Aadhaar numbers linked with their respective bank accounts. As per the decision taken, the Akshaya officials will visit the houses of bed-ridden beneficiaries and collect their details necessary for the procedure.

According to the records at the city corporation office, there are 1,223 old-age pension beneficiaries in the corporation limit, of which only 196 have linked their Aadhaar numbers with their bank accounts. Of the 3,607 people in the physically-challenged pension category, only 679 have linked their Aadhaar numbers with the bank accounts and in the widow pension category, out of the 16,018 beneficiaries, only 5,425 have linked their Aadhaar cards with the bank accounts.

Meanwhile, social welfare standing committee chairperson M Radhakrishnan said the civic body has written a letter to the state government seeking to extend the deadline for linking Aadhaar cards with bank accounts for pension fund transfer directly to the beneficiaries till December 31. "We have decided to carry out the special drive as records show that only 25% of the beneficiaries of various pension schemes residing in the corporation limit have linked their Aadhaar cards with their bank accounts," he said, adding that the officials at the respective Akshaya centres have assured to begin the process soon.

4859 - How a farmer busted NREGA scam - TNN

How a farmer busted NREGA scam

Vijaysinh Parmar, TNN | Oct 16, 2013, 07.11 AM IST

It was a case of too little, too late for Madhubhai Koli of Amreli district of Gujarat. Three years after he died in 2006, Koli's bank account received Rs 1,000 for work done under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) programme.

An RTI application filed by a farmer in the district has revealed many such tales of injustice. The farmer, Karansinh Rathod, was shocked to learn that he himself was the victim of a scam — four of his family members were shown as MGNREGA workers in 2009, though none had ever applied for work. The government programme guarantees 100 days of employment in a financial year to adult members of any rural household who are willing to do manual work.

Rathod, 44, filed an RTI application with Khambha village panchayat in November 2011, seeking details of the job cards issued, muster rolls, number of unskilled people who had worked under this scheme, and the amount spent by the government in 2009 for the programme in the area.

According to details given by the panchayat in response to the RTI application , a youth Lakdhirsinh, 25, was a "beneficiary" , though in reality he was unable to do any work. "Due to mental health problems, he keeps roaming around the village doing nothing," says Rathod.

"We have compared the details given under the RTI and the actual reality in our village," says Rathod. The RTI response revealed that 1,427 job cards were issued by the village panchayat and Rs 1.34 crore was spent under the scheme. But many of the people shown as beneficiaries never worked under the programme in 2009.

"Truck drivers, rickshaw pullers, diamond polishers, people with mental health problems and tea-stall owners were shown as workers under MGNREGA programme," says Yusuf Juneja, an RTI activist based in Khambha and coordinator of an RTI counselling centre in the village, Mahiti Adhikar Nagrik Mandal. The mandal was formed by RTI activist Amit Jethwa, who was killed in July 2010.

Isabhai Jokra, 32, a rickshaw puller, his wife Munni and father were also shown as MGNREGA workers, Juneja says. "Actually, Isabhai came to know about his beneficiary status only after the RTI response," Juneja says.

Rathod has lodged a complaint with the state government. "After the RTI revelation, we submitted the documents to the district administration and they verified them," Rathod says. "The Amreli panchayat has launched an inquiry and I am confident that the scam will be exposed."

4855 - Aadhaar mess: Cylinders being sold at non-subsidized rates - TNN

Aadhaar mess: Cylinders being sold at non-subsidized rates

TNN Oct 18, 2013, 03.31AM IST

HYDERABAD: Despite Union minister Veerappa Moily stating last week that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for LPG subsidy, distributors in Hyderabad are depriving consumers of the subsidy for not possessing Aadhaar cards.

There are 1.75 crore LPG consumers in the state while 1,197 distributors supply around one crore cylinders on a monthly basis. While a subsidized cylinder costs Rs 460, a non-subsidized one costs Rs 1,094. Given that large number of people are yet to get Aadhaar cards, consumers are having a harrowing time in bringing around distributors to take cognizance of the Supreme Court's interim order stating that the Aadhaar number cannot be made mandatory for people to avail of government services.

However, in clear violation of the SC ruling, distributors are minting money by selling the 14.2 kg LPG cylinder above the subsidized rate. "No subsidy policy is linked with Aadhaar, according to the apex court of the country. But then, whether these rulings are indeed implemented is anybody's guess. Dealers seem to be benefiting from the ambiguity surrounding Aadhaar," said Uma Maheshwari, an independent journalist. "This is nothing but a ploy to stop the delivery of subsidized cylinders to the common man. People are now coughing up around Rs 1,200 for a refill," she added.

According to M Padma, chief rationing officer at the civil supplies department, about 71% of the LPG consumers in Hyderabad have linked their gas delivery connections with Aadhaar. Nevertheless, large number of consumers are yet get their Aadhaar numbers linked to their bank accounts and are therefore ending up paying the non-subsidized rates.

Denizens said while a cylinder should be ideally supplied within 48 hours, in most areas, the delivery period ranges from eight to 20 days. "People were given three months time by the government to get their Aadhaar cards. Most are, however, yet to get their cards and are therefore unable to make bookings.

While they can book a cylinder at non-subsidised rates, nobody is willing to do it," said P Venkateshwar Rao, state president, LPG Dealers Association.

Surprisingly, Sunil Sharma, commissioner (civil supplies), reiterated that Aadhaar card is a must for LPG subsidy. "Right now, only Aadhaar card holders are getting the subsidy and we are following the directions given by the central government. We may get further information on the matter in a few days," said Sharma.

4835 - Drive against cooking gas misuse helps government save $1 billion in imports - TNN

Drive against cooking gas misuse helps government save $1 billion in imports

Rajeev Jayaswal, ET Bureau | Oct 14, 2013, 09.54AM IST

NEW DELHI: The government's clampdown on diversion of subsidised cooking gas for commercial use has reduced demand by 1.5 per cent and prompted oil firms to cancel 0.9 million tonnes of LPG imports worth $1 billion. The government has capped the number of subsidised cylinders to nine per year and cut duplicate connections to block diversion of subsidised cooking fuel for commercial use. It has also weeded out fake connections with use of identification documents such as aadhaar card. 

Oil companies have already cancelled import orders of about 0.9 million tonnes of LPG, which is worth about a billion dollar, a senior oil ministry official said. India's annual consumption of LPG is about 15 million tonnes. It imports 6 million tonnes of the fuel to meet its demand. Cooking gas consumption has dropped 0.5 per cent in August and 1.6 per cent in the first five months of the fiscal year, according to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC). 

Ceiling in number of subsidised cylinders and blocking of duplicate or multiple connections have drastically brought down the consumption of subsidised domestic cylinders, resulting in conservation of use of LPG, switchover to cheaper fuels in rural areas and highways and checked diversion for usage in automobile sector, etc it said. 

Company executives and government officials said they would continue with the new norms in LPG trade. "We are continuing to use aadhaar in identified districts to distribute subsidised cooking gas cylinder because the Supreme Court interim order did not restrict us from using it pending its decision, expected on Oct 22," said an executive in a state firm. 

Recently, the court had ordered that no services should be denied to a person who doesn't have aadhaar card. The government and oil companies plan to argue in the court that consumers will continue to get cooking gas cylinders even without aadhaar, but at the market rate of Rs 1,004, not the subsidised price of Rs 410.50. 

"We must ensure that the subsidised cylinder should not be used for industrial or commercial purpose and the same is possible though some kind of identification, such as aadhaar. Even, food subsidy is distributed on the basis of ration cards," the executive said. PPAC said controls on domestic LPG had helped auto-LPG sales rise 5.4 per cent in April-August. 

4822 - It is a bill, not an ordinance: PM - TNN

It is a bill, not an ordinance: PM

Subodh Ghildiyal, TNN | Oct 9, 2013, 06.16 AM IST

As the UIDAI bill was cleared without any discussion, it was the PM's tongue-in-cheek remark that evoked some mirth and also puzzlement.

NEW DELHI: The lingering embarrassment over the way it had to junk the ordinance on convicted lawmakers found an expression in the meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday.

"It is a bill, not an ordinance," PM Manmohan Singh said. Although made in half-jest, the remark from the PM, not known for betraying emotions, struck the members of the Cabinet who had assembled to clear the bill to give the Unique Identification Authority of India legal standing.

As the UIDAI bill was cleared without any discussion, it was the PM's tongue-in-cheek remark that evoked some mirth and also puzzlement. It remained the topic of discussion after the meeting had ended.

The import of the PM's light remark was unlikely to be lost on anyone, given the storm that the ordinance to save convicted MPs has triggered. While the ordinance was cleared by the Cabinet without any serious opposition, Rahul Gandhi later came out against it, calling it "complete nonsense" that was better torn up and thrown out, a veto that triggered a rush in the government to rescind the decision.

Why the PM's light remark did not evoke wild laughter could be because Rahul's public veto of the ordinance led to serious embarrassment for the Cabinet ministers who had cleared the decision. NCP chief Sharad Pawar had cautioned that not thinking through the decisions followed by volte face compromised the credibility of the government.

That a young leader chose to challenge the collective wisdom of the Union ministers was an issue of discussion for over a week though Congressmen were also thankful to the heir imminent for giving the party a safe exit on the ordinance that was threatening to turn into a political trap.

Civil society, principal opposition BJP, the Left bloc as well as the Aam Aadmi Party came out against the decision to overturn the Supreme Court order that MPs and MLAs would stand disqualified the moment they were convicted by a court of law. It struck down the breather to appeal the sentence and keep the membership.

The ordinance was seen to clash with public perception which saw the ordinance as a government attempt to save corrupt and criminal elements in legislatures, a view that could pile pressure on Congress once the opposition dissociated itself from the decision.

4791 - Aadhaar camps fail to satisfy applicants - TNN

Aadhaar camps fail to satisfy applicants

TNN | Oct 8, 2013, 01.32 AM IST

Trichy: The special camps organised by the city corporation for Aadhar card registration seem only for early birds. Residents who have made a bid to register for their cards say that you need to be up and running at least by 3am if you want to be in line for a token. With the corporation insisting that only 150 candidates can be registered in a single day, many people have failed to register despite queuing up early in the morning.

What has messed up the situation is that corporation officials have not informed the public that they can cover only 150 candidates in a day. On Monday, a group of people protested when they were refused tokens. "As we were unable to get enrolled in the first phase, we wanted to make use of the camps. Our family, including my parents, came to the corporation office around 3am to join the queue in, which around 200 people were already waiting. Nevertheless, we kept our finger crossed and waited to get the token, but the officials issued it only after 10am and that to only 150 candidates. So, we want them to issue tokens to everyone as we have already lost three days waiting in the queue," said M Ibrahim, an electrician from Thilagar Street near Trichy Airport.

The special camps for Aadhaar card registration were being held from the beginning of the month at three centres in the city to cover 60 wards in the city corporation. Each centre has two units of equipment for registration, so the corporation has restricted the number of candidates to 150 per day. As it is made mandatory for people to bring their Aadhaar card number to get LPG, people have been crowding at the camps to get their registration done. But, the corporation doesn't seem to have satisfied the general public.

"The corporation should give explain the public about the procedure, and it should not make people run from pillar to post," said S Arockiadass , a watchman in Sembattu, who rushed to the venue after finishing his night-duty.

It was said that the corporation pacified the agitators saying the camps will be held till the end of the year. Repeated attempts to contact corporation commissioner V P Thandapani went in vain.

4786 - Cabinet to consider bill today to provide statutory status to Aadhaar

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cabinet-to-consider-bill-today-to-provide-statutory-status-to-Aadhaar/articleshow/23678766.cms

Cabinet to consider bill today to provide statutory status to Aadhaar

Mahendra Singh, TNN | Oct 8, 2013, 05.43 AM IST

Cabinet to consider bill today to provide statutory status to Aadhaar

The urgency to provide statutory status to the UIDAI comes after the Supreme Court last month said that the Aadhaar can only be issued to those with proven Indian nationality and cannot be made mandatory for accessing public services and subsidies.

NEW DELHI: The government is fast-tracking the move to provide statutory status to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as the Union cabinet is expected to approve on Tuesday a long pending legislation to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. 

The urgency to provide statutory status to the UIDAI comes after the Supreme Court last month said that the Aadhaar can only be issued to those with proven Indian nationality and cannot be made mandatory for accessing public services and subsidies. The National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010, is also aimed at protecting the privacy of the information that is accessed during the processing of the Aadhaar card. 

The Nandan Nilekani-led UIDAI is functioning as an executive body under the Planning Commission with a mandate to issue 12-digit unique identification number called Aadhaar linked to a person's demographic and biometric information. 

Stung with the recent SC order, UPA managers are desperate to save the government's showpiece initiative that aims at ensuring transparency in accessing public services and payment of subsidies. 

The Bill to provide the UIDAI legal backing was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2010 and introduced in the Rajya Sabha in December same year, but was put on the backburner after the standing committee on finance led by BJP leader Yashwant Sinha rejected it and sent back for reconsideration. 

There was a feeling in the government that legally UIDAI can continue functioning even without legislative backing and focus was on enrolling maximum number of people. 

The UIDAI would also move the SC to explain its position related to the Aadhaar scheme, touted as UPA's game-changer in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. 

Deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia told TOI that UIDAI will detail its position on the Aadhaar system to the apex court in an affidavit to be filed shortly. Ahluwalia, one of the architects of the scheme, said that the Aadhaar system was the best way to ensure that there are no leakages in the mechanism and this was "most effective manner" to ensure that benefits reach the targeted population. 

He also said the scheme will shut out duplication and ensure that nobody garners benefits many times over. Ahluwalia indicated that making it mandatory to avail government entitlements will end duplication and curb leakages. 

UPA managers are worried as Aadhaar is key for rolling out the direct benefit of transfer scheme to plug loopholes in its subsidy delivery mechanism. The move is aimed at ensuring that the money is transferred directly to a beneficiary's bank account.