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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Aadhaar now most widely held ID with 92cr holders -Rajeev Deshpande

Aadhaar now most widely held ID with 92cr holders -Rajeev Deshpande

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published Published on Oct 2, 2015   modified Modified on Oct 2, 2015
-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Aadhaar card is now the most widely held identification document in the country with a voluntary enrolment of 92 crore people. It is also perhaps the sole ID for many of its holders, including many families below the poverty line.

In comparison, 5.7 crore people have passports, 17 crore people PAN cards, 60 crore voter ID cards, 15 crore ration cards and 17.3 crore driving licences.

Aadhaar has helped effect savings of Rs 2,600 crore by eliminating bogus claims in welfare schemes besides engendering greater transparency and consequently reducing corruption, reports from states and Union Territories show.

It is also delivering benefits in progarmmes tailored for the poor like MNREGA where 3 crore of 9 crore active workers have Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. One crore wage transactions have been remitted and the process has become more efficient and transparent with 87,000 banking correspondents providing village and neighbourhood-level micro ATM services.

If a legal order restricts use of the Aadhaar gateway — the Supreme Court is currently scrutinising it — many sections such as MNREGA workers will be affected. Various pension schemes with over 2.5 crore beneficiaries have some 54 lakh accounts linked to Aadhaar with 64 lakh transactions completed, accounting for Rs 507 crore. The government is keen that the court allow the principle of voluntary use of Aadhaar for a host of services other than LPG, PDS and kerosene. The court has currently restricted Aadhaar to the three schemes.

Quick credit and hassle-free withdrawal as there is no need to travel to a bank are significant savings for. MNREGA workers, particularly women who have to forego household responsibilities and daily earnings to travel to a bank in remote areas. In conservative societies, the problem is compounded as women are not able to travel alone and may have to be accompanied by male relative.

The PM Jandhan Yojana which permits opening of zero balance accounts without documentation that poor beneficiaries often lack aims at broadening financial inclusion. Over 17 crore accounts have been opened and of these over 7 crore or 41% individuals have presented the UID as proof of identity to access banking services.

The Aadhar infrastructure will be vastly under-utilised if it is restricted to just a handful of schemes, making it a waste of public money. Even with a partial application, states have reported large savings, weeding out bogus claimants like benefits drawn in the name of dead persons, or duplicate claims like names existing in other job cards and money taken in the name of an absent person.

Aadhar is particularly crucial for BPL families who are the primary beneficiaries of PMJDY and three pensions schemes run by the Centre — Atal Pension Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana and PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana --are linked to UID. The schemes, according to official sources, are intended to provide a wide coverage by way of insurance with small premiums, flagged by the government as a key policy goal.

With Rs 12 a year as premium, an insured person is entitled to a coverage of Rs 2 lakh and with an Aadhar linkage, the claims can be directly transferred to bank accounts with middle men being cut out of the picture while transfers become faster. The process cuts down the government's administrative costs as well, making the schemes more economically viable and opening banking to many who have been deprived of the services.

The elderly will not be required to visit banks for proof that they exist in order to draw benefits. There are over 1.5 crore pensioners and the Jeevan Praman scheme dispenses with the need for personal appearances using the Aadhar identity and some 3.2 lakh retired persons have used the facility.

Online registration for out-patient services and operations of the Employees' Provident Fund Organization have also become an easier task with the Aadhar linkage with PF accounts providing a life-long universal access number allowing access to funds and transactions across locations and. At present, over 87 lakh persons have linked Aadhar to their UAN.

The Times of India, 2 October, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Aadhaar-now-most-widely-held-ID-with-92cr-holders/articleshow/49189132.cms


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