With the Union Government informing the State Government about expanding the scope of Aadhaar use for all the Centrally-funded schemes, the Unique ID Number will be mandatory to avail facilities and subsidies by the people.
Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat AR Sihag has informed the State Government that the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) envisages use of Aadhaar for correct identification of beneficiaries for delivery of benefits and services.
In fact, the Government of India slowly and steadily utilizing Aadhaar to cover all the Central schemes and as on today 496 Centrally funded schemes and several other services have been covered for Aadhaar connect, informed Dr Sihag.
The Aadhaar is now accepted as a valid identity proof by both the Union and State Governments for availing services, including application for passport, opening bank account, insurance account, getting land line and mobile phone connection, and buying rail and air tickets.
In order to keep a check on multiple entries on electoral rolls, the Election Commission has started a drive to include Aadhaar number along with Voter ID card.
Now, the Aadhaar is mandatory for filing Income Tax return and the Government has made it mandatory to link Aadhaar with PAN card to eliminate multiple PAN by individuals. Maintaining multiple PAN is a criminal offence.
Dr Sihag approached the Odisha Government to connect Aadhaar with the programmes also run by the State Government to eliminate ghosts availing the benefits of the programmes.
He urged to set up a State level DBT portal which is needed to operate under the State DBT Cell, so that the Union Government’s DBT Mission will be interacting with the State authorities regularly on this count.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has asked the State Government to connect Aadhaar link with Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan(SSA) and Mid Day Meal(MDM).
Secretary School Education and literacy, MHRD, Anil Swarup has requested the Odisha Government to facilitate Aadhaar enrolment of all the individuals desirous to avail benefits of MDM and SSA.
However, the MHRD has given deadline of June 30, 2017 for Aadhaar enrolment for MDM and SSA.
And for Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikhya Abhiyan (RMSA), the MHRD has given deadline for Aadhaar applications.
Swarup said that in order to provide benefits of the MDM, the SSA and the RMSA in a convenient and seamless manner, the State Government is needed to take up the matter on a priority basis.
He urged the State Government to make arrangement for One Time Enrolment Drive in each school of the State in coordination with the UIDAI.
He advised for a robust Management Information System (MIS), which needs to be connected to Aadhaar of each child. This will make the process transparent and efficient delivery system.