Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 7: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), under the direct control of Registrar General of India, has stopped the operation Permanent Enrollment Centres (PECs) for generating NPR Smart Cards/ Aadhar Cards in the Jammu and Kashmir State from March 31, 2016.
Well placed sources connected with operation of NPR Smart Cards in J&K told the Excelsior that Registrar General of India, Mr Sailesh in an order issued couple of days back abruptly directed the State Government to stop the operation of all the Permanent Enrolment Centres established in the offices of Tehsildars, SDMs, Deputy Commissioners and the Municipal Committee offices across the State. These centres had been established to facilitate the general public to generate their Aadhar Cards, make corrections or updation of their already generated Cards.
While the State Government’s IT department claimed to have issued Aadhar Cards to over 76 lakh people in the State as on date, many people in the State have yet been left out. Moreover, there are still many such people who are working outside the State, some gone for higher studies outside and also serving in the security forces away from their homes. Such people are yet needed to be provided this facility through such permanent centres so that desirous people could contact those centers for generating their cards.
Sources said that 344 such PECs were operating in the State under the supervision of Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), which had hired two private agencies Compac Info Technologies and Chinar. About 688 enumerators had been engaged for the task and two machines were installed at each centre for the generation of bio-metric data of the individuals. They have also been rendered jobless with this announcement.
The sudden decision of the Registrar General of India conveyed to the State Government to stop the operation, at the point when the process had reached a crucial stage, is unfortunate. Due to some problem in the Urdu font of the software there were massive corrections to be rectified and the updation work was also going on smoothly but the sudden decision of the Government of India, has left many people of the State in problem.
The first ever major exercise under the direct control of Registrar General of India to generate 90 lakh National Population Register Smart Cards was started in J&K in November 2012 but actual work was commenced in January 2013. The agencies involved in the operation jumped at least three deadlines due to several reasons. It was started with the holding of camps under the control of Deputy Commissioners/ SDMs and Tehsildars etc for generating NPR Smart Cards and collecting bio-metrics through moveable machines at different locations.
But the second module of PECs was introduced later to facilitate the people and also for ensuring corrections and perform updation works.
Sources said that State Government has written to the Centre to allow the operation of these permanent Aadhar Cards generating centres for at least six more months so that entire exercise is completed smoothly and corrections are also made in the already prepared cards besides undertaking updation task, but the response is yet awaited.
Head, NPR J&K State S C Sapru when contacted said that infact, the mode has been changed as the biometrics for the Aadhar cards will be generated by the teams after visiting the concerned areas which have been left out or where much number of people have been left. The areas have been identified and cluster wise operation will be done in next phase.
When asked about the need to correct cards due to problem in Urdu software and updation at permanent centres, Mr Sapru said that UID created some problem and the Urdu software was later improved. He said that work will now be done by the field teams but that concern has been communicated to the Registrar General of India and the matter is under his active consideration. He disclosed that this UID will be linked to the dynamic data base for registration of deaths and births.
Commissioner / Secretary, IT Hirdesh Kumar Singh when contacted said that though PECs have been closed down by the Government but the DCs concerned if want can continue them for couple of months. He said that since the agencies involved were authorized to carry operation up to March 31, 2016, therefore they had to be closed down. He however, maintained that field operation will be continued for generating Aadhar Cards of the remaining public. Mr Singh also claimed that these centres have been closed down on the request of State Government.
It is pertinent to mention here that this card will be the `lifeline’ of any citizen and for 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.
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