Dispur seeks exemption, shoots missives to UIDAI

Dispur seeks exemption, shoots missives to UIDAI

Aadhaar DEADLINE

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, March 9: With the deadline of March 31 set by the Supreme Court for linking of bank and passbook accounts, mobile phone numbers and other  vital documents with Aadhaar cards approaching soon, people in Assam are apprehensive if their vital documents will soon be delinked and if they are in for deep trouble. Even MLAs have been gripped by such fear, and it for this reason that the issue was raised in the Budget session of the State Assembly recently.

In Assam, a mere eight per cent of the people are in possession of Aadhaar cards.

Given the reality, two separate communications have been sent by the Chief Secretary and the General Administration Department (GAD) to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to resolve the issue in the case of Assam. The GAD is the State Registrar for Aadhaar card implementation in the State.

The two letters have raised concern among the people of the State as a whopping 92 per cent of them do not have such cards as mandatory identity proof.  The letters said that implementation of the Aadhaar project could not be taken up in the State due to various reasons such as the ongoing NRC update, sudden policy changes in the matter of Aadhaar enrolment agencies, and citizenship issues as to whether foreigners could prove their citizenship by virtue of their Aadhaar cards if they were to acquire such ID proofs by foul means.

The two letters, therefore, have requested the UIDAI to take up the serious issue with appropriate authorities for Assam’s exemption from the deadline of March 31 so that people here do not have to suffer unnecessarily.

However, the Income Tax Department has already exempted the people of the State from Aadhaar cards in their dealings with the department.

Since the GAD has already taken steps – the tender process for Aadhaar work is on – for Aadhaar card implementation in the State, if everything goes as per plan, the implementation will begin in April. The department has already identified 1,241 Aadhaar enrolment centres in the State where people can go to give their biometrics and other documents as required.

Meanwhile, training of government verifiers of documents for Aadhaar cards began in Kamrup (Metro) district on Friday. Such training will be imparted in other districts too very soon.

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