UIDAI plans enrolment drive

After several complaints of low coverage of beneficiaries under Aadhaar in the 51 districts identified for the launch of the direct cash transfer scheme on January 1, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is gearing up to hold enrolment camps in educational institutions and villages in the next two to three weeks.

The UIDAI, which issues Aadhaar number, will set up camps in schools, colleges, villages in association with banks to enrol beneficiaries, sources in the government told Deccan Herald.

These camps will have officials from UIDAI, banks, post offices and government departments. Beneficiaries will be able to enrol themselves and also get a print out and then open a bank account,” sources said.

As on November 30, of the 51 select districts, 19 districts have less than 60 per cent population covered under Aadhaar. Most of these districts are in Rajasthan, Haryana and Jharkhand.

In Rajasthan, districts like Ajmer, Alwar and Udaipur have just 15, 16 and 14 per cent of the population covered under Aadhaar. Nearly 20 identified districts where the first phase of cash transfer will be launched have more than 80 per cent coverage.

Recently, several MPs raised the issue of beneficiaries not being allotted Aadhaar number in districts where the first phase of cash transfer will be launched and they have slammed the government for implementing the scheme without proper preparation.

However, the government has clarified that though they are launching cash transfer of 34 schemes in 51 districts from January 1, beneficiaries will not be denied merely on the grounds of not having a Aadhaar number.

“Till the beneficiary gets Aadhaar number and his bank account is opened, they will continue to get the benefit in the existing format,” sources said.