Nilekani geared up for acceleration of Aadhaar enrolment

Ranchi: With the Centre set to rollout the Phase-II direct benefit transfer (DBT) beginning 1 July in the country, UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani today said Aadhaar enrolment stations would be increased in the country.

“Now there are 30,000 enrolment stations in the country and they will be expanded,” Nilekani said and informed about the Centre’s decision to add 78 districts under phase-II in addition to the 43 already covered in Phase-I.

“We are enrolling ten lakh per day. 35 crore have already been enrolled, and we are committed to completing the project,” Nilekani said, but he hesitated to set a deadline to complete the project in the country, when asked.

Re-affirmation of Nilekani on accelerating Aadhaar enrolment comes in the background of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterji reportedly writing to secretaries on the roll out of DBT’s Phase-II from 1 July.

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“Enrolment in Jharkhand is very good with only one crore people left for enrolment. With ten lakh enrolment per day, we hope it would take four months…and will be completed (latest by) this calendar year,” Nilekani told a press conference here.

[caption id=“attachment_692726” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nandan Nilekani in this file photo. Reuters[/caption]

Appreciating the pace of Aadhaar in Jharkhand, Nilekani said UIADI would like to take Jharkhand a model state in the country as far as Aadhaar is concerned in acceleration of enrolment.

Aadhaar-attached schemes are among others LPG subsidies, oldage pension, pension for the disabled persons MG-NREGA wages, he said and expressed happiness with the people in Jharkhand villages drawing money using Aadhaar on micro-ATMS at their doors.

Aadhaar will also be helpful to open bank accounts, mobile connections, licenses and other requirements, he said, but categorically reiterated that Aadhaar is not for citizen identification.

To a question about “poor paper quality” of Aadhaar, Nilekani suggested to laminate the bottom portion of Aadhaar card for durability and displayed to the media his own laminated one. One can download Aadhaar from http://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in and take a print out which can be used in lieu of the Aadhaar letter, Nilekani said when his attention was drawn to missing posts.

PTI