Unique identification SCHEME TO STAY
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments ambitious programme to provide unique numbers expected to survive with government drafting fresh legislation to give legal sanctity to unique identification authority.
Sources said the draft to legalize UID is at conceptualization stage and once the legislation gets the nod of Parliament UID will be get legal status and empowered to enroll and provide unique number to all residents of the country.
The move aimed at empowering Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) which is presently mandated to enroll 200 million residents by March 2012.Sources said UIDAI headed by IT czar Nandan Nilekani which at present is a subordinate office under Planning Commission may get independent status.
The project,aimed at ensuring benefits of thousands of crore welfare schemes reaches to the Aam Adami by helping poor to open their bank account,get benefits of rural job schemes and food security programme.The scheme is voluntary to start with,but it will provide more efficient delivery of government services.The fresh move came in the backdrop of Parliaments standing committee on finance ridiculed the scheme and home ministry has raised serious objections on mandate of UIDAI.
Many activities too have raised objections over lack of strong privacy and data-protection laws,complaining that the project have weak legal basis.Recently standing committee argued for stopping UID scheme,arguing that UID be based on law passed by parliament.
The response of home ministry is worth watching as it has objected to UIDAIs mandate to collect biometric details as Registrar General of India too is taking similar details to build a National Population Register for citizens.Though eyebrows are raised over growing cost of the scheme,but government and UIDAI thinks the money spent on UID scheme will be much less than wastage on funds due to pilferages and corruption which will be checked.
