JOIN US'RGI data enough for Aadhaar'
The Cabinet on Thursday decided that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) shall issue Aadhar or unique ID numbers (UID) to citizens based on the biometric data generated by the Registrar General of India (RGI).
To avoid duplication and other glitches, Chidambaram wanted the UIDAI to use the biometric data from RGI, which UIDAI had opposed.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee too wrote to the chief ministers of 16 states and union territories on Thursday regarding the rollout of Aadhaar-enabled payments to beneficiaries of various Central Government Schemes.
Aadhaar platform is now ready to support payments under various schemes directly to the beneficiaries’ accounts in select areas, Mukherjee said.
Chidambaram had said that the National Population Register (NPR) project of RGI was “almost at a standstill” due to UIDAI’s disregard for its data.
Nilekani, who came to North Block to meet Chidambaram, refused to comment on the government’s decision. “I have come to meet [him] on a personal issue. I don’t want to comment on his letter,” he said.
"The collection of photographs and biometrics has been facing hurdles at every step on account of the approach of the UIDAI, which, it seems, has failed to appreciate the core purpose of the NPR," Chidambaram had complained in his letter.
He also criticised the UIDAI for showing scant regard to the Cabinet order. "Despite orders from the cabinet, the UIDAI is objecting to the conduct of NPR camps in certain states and is also refusing to accept the biometric data of NPR for de-duplication and generation of Aadhaar numbers," he said.
At loggerheads
The Planning Commission, under which comes UIDAI, and the Home Ministry have been at loggerheads since the government decided to give Aadhaar numbers to citizens. Earlier too, Chidambaram had complained to PM in writing on the non-cooperative attitude of UIDAI. It was only after PM’s intervention did the Planning Commission and UIDAI agree to take RGI data. Chidambaram said he had taken up the issue with Nilekani, while Home Secretary.