Rs 120 crore for I-card project

A major step in improving governance

While presenting the Union Budget, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the project marked the beginning of top private sector talents like Nilekani taking up the responsibility of implementing projects of vital national importance. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will establish an online database with identity and biometric details of the citizens and provide enrolment and verification services across the country.

The Interim Budget had earmarked Rs 100 crore as the initial corpus for UIDAI. While the total cost of the project is not yet known, the project to be implemented over the next three years, could cost at least Rs 10,000 crore, sources said.

“Setting up of the UIDAI is a major step in improving the governance with regard to delivery of public services,” Mukherjee said. It is understood that the UIDAI, under the ambit of the Planning Commission, will soon have its office in a prominent building in Delhi’s prime Connaught Place area and is likely to hire about 150 professionals from the private sector for this purpose. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission, in its 11th report, had earlier said that the issuance of the cards would help citizens to get access to subsidised food, energy and education depending on entitlement.