Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 12: While the first ever major exercise under the direct control of Registrar General of India to generate 90 lakh National Population Register Smart Cards ( NPR/Aadhar Cards) by September 2013 in J&K commenced in January this year, the target is likely to jump ahead by two more months as in several districts including Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu and Srinagar the process is yet to be started.
Authoritative sources told the Excelsior that process of holding camps under the control of Deputy Commissioners/ADCs/ SDMs and Tehsildars etc for generating NPR Smart Cards and collecting bio-metrics through moveable machines will commence in Jammu and Srinagar in the first week of October 2013 as a part of first round of this major operation for citizens’ registration. A population of about 30 lakh is targeted to be covered under the exercise within two months.
Sources further said that Ward/locality/ village- wise camps are being organized where men, women and children assemble and produce themselves in front of the machines installed where bio-metrics are taken besides other data.
Thereafter, the data will be forwarded to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) and then Citizens’ Registration Authority of India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which will provide the NPR Smart Cards to the citizens. This card will be the ‘lifeline’ of any citizen and his/ her unique identification as Indian national with unique number.
On the basis of this card, a citizen will be entitled for any benefit including, job, ration card, gas/water/power connection, passport, purchase of any property, vehicle, open bank account, prepare any category or other certificate, take admission in school-college, effect bank transactions, prepare Pan Card, draw any sort of pension/stipend or take any subsidy from the Government or benefit of many Govt schemes. Country’s further planning will depend on the data prepared by the Registrar General of India.
In J&K state, Aadhar Cards have now been replaced by the NPR Smart Cards. In January this year, the process of providing training to the Revenue officers and others involved in the process was started.
The process in all the three regions of the State including Ladakh and hilly and mountainous areas of Kashmir and Jammu regions was targeted to be completed by September 30, 2013. Directorate of Census Operation, J&K has been engaged to conduct this exercise while respective Dy Commissioners have been appointed as District Registration Authority and Tehsildars as Tehsil Registration Authority.
Data compiled from the J&K Census Operations and several District authorities indicated that hardly 35 to 40 percent population out of the target given has been covered so far. Over fifty percent population of district Samba has been covered out of the total 2.5 lakh target in the first round.
In Doda 28000, Kathua 15400, Kishtwar 18,200, Samba 1.18 lakh, Shopian 40,000 , Kulgam 67000 and Anantnag only 200 people have been covered. The Srinagar and Jammu cities will be taken up in October this year.
In Kargil and Leh districts over 70,000 population has been covered out of the target of 2.5 lakhs and this exercise will be over within next one month. In the first round 80 % population has been targeted to be covered.
Joint Director Census Operation J&K, Chander Shekhar Saproo when contacted said that the unique card being termed as citizenship identity will carry a number for each citizen and that will be his/her identity. This card will be essential for all the citizens for seeking any Government benefit including job, passport, domicile, ration card, kerosene, fertilizers, subsidy, water/ power connection, any sort of license, pay, pension, old age/ widow pension, voter I-card etc besides any banking transaction in coming times.
He said the Government is according priorities to digitization of beneficiary database with names, addresses and Adhar numbers in all banks/ financial institutions. It has been suggested to have 95% Aadhar penetration level for all beneficiaries and over 95% beneficiaries should have bank accounts, with all Banks being Aadhar, NPR Smart Cards-compliant.
He said under the guidance of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) and the direct control of Registrar General of India, J&K Directorate of Central Census Operations is fully involved in this unique exercise of generating National Population Registration (NPR) Smart Cards, in place of ‘Adhar’ Cards now in J&K.
A target of generating data base and 90 lakh NPR Smart cards in J&K has been given by Sept 2013. This massive exercise is being launched on war-footing involving Dy Commissioners, Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars Patwaris and others in coming days throughout the State. DCs will be District Registration Authority. Since the officials are involved in hilly, mountainous/ remote areas, the target may slip to October as many areas are yet to be covered. He however, maintained that response of the public was good and nearly 10,000 people per day are being covered.
At least five machines are installed at one camp site and one machine has the capacity to cover 500 souls per day. The Village Sarpanchs, Panchayat members / Numberdars etc are also associated with the exercise. He further disclosed that training to the staff in Poonch and Rajouri has been given and process would start in these two districts within a week or fortnight.
Replying to a question, Mr Saproo said infact, there is no major difference between ‘Aadhar’ Card and NPR Smart Card. Purpose of both is the same and same benefits will be given to the citizens. He said in remaining states, these NPR cards will be issued. Those people in J&K, who have already been issued Adhar cards, need not to undergo data-base or biometric exercise. They have already been issued Unique Identification Number. That number will remain unchanged. On the basis of that number, they will be issued NPR Smart Cards, he added.
Mr Saproo further disclosed that in many areas, especially in cities and towns, data base has been generated through field workers/ enumerators, teachers etc. Many of them have been issued TIN (Temporary Identification Numbers) numbers. Now, on the spot photographs and bio-metrics (finger- prints etc) are being taken by organising camps in the rural, urban and semi-urban areas. He said camps are being held for the first round. After one month, second round would be held to cover left over people in the same area. In three rounds, all the areas will be covered so that all the left over people are covered. He said this exercise, will bring transparency in many areas, help State and the country planners before launching new schemes for people, preparing budget for the State and also bring transparency in voter lists revision/ preparing voter cards etc. Mr Saproo said no one is going to be entertained in any field without this Card in future as NPR Smart Card is going to become ‘life- line’ of the people in future.
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