More than 74 pc of people in the State have Aadhaar card : Hill dists lagging behind
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 16 2017: Around 74 percent of the total population of Manipur (27,01,691) have received their Aadhaar numbers.

Around 90 percent of the people in the valley districts already have Aadhaar cards but for the hill districts, specially Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong, the percentage is comparatively low.

The Government of India had already announced that people who do not possess Aadhaar cards or numbers by June 30 would not be entitled to any special welfare schemes.

More than 95 percent of the country's total population have already been enrolled for Aadhaar cards and reports suggest that the Central Government has been able to save around 89,550 crores from going to waste since the last two years when the initiative for linking special welfare schemes with Aadhaar cards began.

According to an official source, more than 65.29 percent of the total population of Manipur had been enrolled for Aadhaar as ofJune last year.

The number has increased to 73.65 percent as of June 12 this year.

Earlier, biometrics enrolment for generating Aadhaar was generally done for those above the age of 5 years but now all are being enrolled for Aadhaar.

It pointed out that biometrics enrolment rate is low for some North East States like Assam and the rate of enrolment in Manipur is far greater.

It stated that earlier as part of an agreement, the biometrics enrolment for 12 States including Manipur was handled by the Registrar General of India (RGI) while the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) handled the remaining States.

However, the agreement ended on December 31,2016, and the UIDAI, now handles biometrics enrolment and Aadhaar generation for Manipur as well.

Inmedia and Manitron act as the implementing agency for the process and the enrolment drive is being carried out across every Permanent Enrolment Centres which includes District HQs, SDO, SDC offices and also at Common Service Centres.

For each individual enrolled, UIDAI pays Rs 50 to the implementing agencies through the respective State Governments.

The source further conveyed that the State Government is discussing possible hike in the price or payment made for hill districts as various factors and inconveniences come into play.

Although the biometrics enrolment process is fast for the valley, the same cannot, be said for the hill districts.

More than 90 percent of the valley's population have been enrolled whereas for Senapati it is 50 percent, 59 percent for Chandel, 78 percent for Kangpokpi and 68 percent for Chandel, it added.

It stated that a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister was organised recently to minutely discuss the issue and every DCs were notified to submit an action plan at the earliest.

Steps are being taken up to make Aadhaar card compulsory and the State Government plans to enrol 85-90 percent of the State's population for Aadhaar number and which would be achieved by the month's end, it added.

But on the other hand, another source claim that, even if the State Government takes up extra steps to increase the number of Aadhaar card holders, certain difficulties would crop up in the hill districts like Senapati and added that biometrics enrolment would not see huge success as there were reports about forged identities and entry of non existent individuals in the census data.

A person needs to provide the fingerprints of all ten fingers, photo as well as eye scans.

So, no individual can enrol in the name of another, it said and conveyed that huge amount of funds would be saved as now individuals without Aadhaar numbers will not be entitled to social welfare schemes, leaving no option for defaulters.

It may be mentioned that in the 2011 census, while the growth rate in various districts hovered around 15 to 25 percent, for Tamenglong, it was mentioned as 26.15 percent, 30.70 percent for Ukhrul and an unbelievable 100 percent for Senapati.

To add more confusion, the growth rate of Mao-Maram was reported as 13633 percent, 99.15 percent for Paomata Sub Division and 120.38 percent for Purul, which all fall under Senapati district.

Comment