Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 21: Under the first ever major exercise started in the J&K State by the Registrar General of India to prepare 90 lakh National Population Register Smart Cards (Aadhar Cards) in the first phase, six districts have been covered so far while the process to generate cards has begin in Jammu district.
A new revised target of March 31, 2014 has been fixed by the Central authorities for the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) to generate these 90 lakh popularly known ‘Aadhar Cards’ in the J&K State. Initially, the authorities had fixed September 2013 target for the completion of phase one exercise in the State under the direct control of Registrar General of India to generate 90 lakh NPR Smart Cards, commencing work in January this year. The target is now likely to jump ahead by six more months as in several districts the exercise was going on while in Srinagar, Poonch and Rajouri it is yet to be started.
Authoritative sources told the ‘Excelsior’ that process of holding enrollment camps under the control of district and tehsil authorities for generating NPR Smart Cards and collecting bio-metrics through moveable machines has commenced in big way in many districts of the State. In Jammu district, it has started from Bishnah tehsil where enrollment camps are being organised by the ECIL staff which has engaged three private firms to enroll people. It is likely to be commenced in JMC area from first week of January 2014.
Sources disclosed that Ward/locality/village- wise camps are being organized where men, women and children assemble are made to 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.
Joint Director Census Operation J&K, Chander Shekhar Saproo when contacted said that in J&K despite violence in Kishtwar, earthquake in parts of Doda and violence in Ramban area, the exercise to generate Aadhar Cards was going on in big way. He said so far in six districts including entire Kargil and Leh, the work has been completed. The other four districts completely covered are Samba, Kulgam, Shopian and Ganderbal.
In Jammu, the work was started from first week of December and it s likely to be completed in a month. Three private vendors (firms) have been engaged by ECIL in the State and March 2014 has been given the target to the firm to cover 90 lakh targeted population. He disclosed that most of inaccessible areas of Kupwara, Kishtwar, Poonch, Baramulla, Anantnag, Ramban and other parts have been covered.
He said the unique card being termed as citizenship identity will carry a number for each citizen and that will be his/her identity. There will not be any scope of duplicity. The people can not prepare two- three ration cards or voter I-cards, get different power/gas connections taking undue benefit. This card will be essential for all the citizens for seeking any Government benefit including passport, domicile, ration card, subsidy, water/ power connection, any sort of license, 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 Aadhar 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.
A target of generating data base and 90 lakh NPR Smart cards in J&K has been given to the agency by March 2014. 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 the uncovered populations will be enrolled in the second phase of the exercise.
Another officials of the COD 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. He disclosed that over Rs 20 crore is being spent in the first phase of this exercise for generating 90 lakh NPR Smart Cards.
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