Citizens can avail all the benefits of government schemes on alternate means of identification till the time they get their Aadhaar number, the government said today. "No one will be deprived of the benefits for lack of Aadhaar... Till Aadhaar number is assigned to any individual, the benefit will continue to be given based on alternate means of identification," according to a statement issued by the Cabinet Secretariat.

Aadhaar has so far been given to more than 112 crore people in the country. "In case of Mid-Day Meal scheme and under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the schools and Anganwadis have been asked to collect the Aadhaar number of the children beneficiaries and in case a child does not have Aadhaar, the school or ICDS functionary will be required to provide enrolment facilities to a child and till Aadhaar number is assigned, the benefits will continue," the statement said.

Considering the usefulness of Aadhaar in curbing leakages and bringing transparency in delivery system, the government has recently issued orders to use Aadhaar in several other welfare schemes funded from the Consolidated Fund of India. "While these orders require beneficiaries of these programmes to give their Aadhaar number, it has also been ensured that no one is deprived of the benefits for want of Aadhaar," it said. Total savings by plugging leakages on account of Aadhaar introduction during the last two-and-a-half years in just a few schemes amount to over Rs 49,000 crore.