Aadhaar Project to Start Officially from October 1

Aadhaar Project to Start Officially from October 1

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Sept 19: Finally, the Aadhaar implementation work will commence officially across Assam from October 1. This is for the first time that this project has been taken up from the government side in the State.

The General Administration Department (GAD) has already issued the necessary directives to the Deputy Commissioners for the rollout of this long awaited project of the Government of India. While the GAD is the State Registrar for Aadhaar implementation, a Deputy Commissioner (DC) is the Enrollment Agency.

As per GAD directive, the DCs concerned have been asked to monitor the progress of the Aadhaar implementation work in the respective 33 districts. Meanwhile, the terms and agreements have been finalized with the six shortlisted firms and their operational areas have also been distributed. The firms have been asked to begin the all-important Aadhaar implementation work from October 1 this year.

Talking to The Sentinel, Commissioner Secretary GAD Dr. M. Angamuthu said: “We have already issued the necessary instructions to the DCs to commence the Aadhaar implementation work from October 1 this year. An awareness campaign will be carried out among the public on the documents required for getting enrolled for the Aadhaar process. There are a total of 1241 enrollment centres in Assam.”

It is expected that the firms would have a year’s time to complete the task assigned to them for enrolling over 3.16 crore residents of the State who are yet to receive their Aadhaar cards.

Out of the over 3.4 crore estimated population of Assam, only 24.34 lakh have had their Aadhaar numbers generated so far.

Altogether 20 firms had applied for the Aadhaar exercise. Of them, six were selected through a Bid Evaluation Committee and State Level Aadhaar Implementation Committee notified for the purpose.

The entire State has been divided into 10 zones with 1241 enrollment centres. The Aadhaar card is considered as a proof of residence and not a proof of citizenship. Hitherto, Aadhaar implementation work has been carried out in some of the nationalized banks.

Though work on the project was initially supposed to have started in the last part of August, it got delayed due to some official procedures.

On Tuesday, officials of GAD provided a presentation on Aadhaar to the DCs at Administrative Staff College here.

Sources further informed that a massive campaign will be carried out to make the public aware about Aadhaar. GAD would provide the campaign materials to the DCs.

Since its introduction in January 2009, the Aadhaar card has emerged as one of the most frequently discussed topics in the country.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued free of cost by the Indian government to every individual resident of India. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will be providing fund for the cost of generation of Aadhaar cards for the residents through the Registrar, while the other expenses like consumables and stationary items for the enrolment centres would be borne by the GAD.

The UIDAI, which functions under the Niti Aayog, is responsible for managing Aadhaar numbers and Aadhaar identification cards. The Aadhar card is a biometric document that stores an individual’s personal details in a government database, and is fast becoming the government’s base for public welfare and citizen services.

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