The Jharkhand Government has decided not to push the Aadhaar-enabled payment system and denial of host of services based on the biometric database. Decision in this regard has been taken at the highest level as the Government was anticipating snub from the Supreme Court that is hearing the matter for entire country.
It is learnt from the top sources that the Chief Secretary office had on October 1 itself circulated an internal order for the withdrawal of all the services where voluntary uses of Aadhaar number have been allowed. “We have received a letter from the Chief Secretary that barring Public Distribution System (PDS), lPG and kerosene subsidies Aadhaar number can no longer be sought in the State. Following that we have stopped seeking the unique number from the beneficiaries,” said an official of Information and Technology Department.
The State Government with much fanfare had rolled out ‘m-government’ on September 15 that was to extend the Aadhaar linkages to midday meal monitoring system as the latest. Before that wages to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers were being paid through Aadhaar-linked bank accounts and post offices.
“We have been running series of welfare schemes based on Aadhaar numbers. Aadhaar enabled payment system (AEPS) has been followed in disbursing pre-matric scholarships, old age pensions, disability pensions apart from MGNREGA payments. Now all that payments can continue without furnishing Aadhaar numbers,” added the official.
Notably, Jharkhand was one of five pilot States chosen for AEPS and to begin with, few selected blocks of four districts of the State in 2012 had rolled out MGNREGA payments. later on, host of pension and scholarship schemes, Janani Suraksha Yojana, biometric attendance system in Government offices and linking salary accounts with it were introduced.
Though, the State Government had even approached the Supreme Court pleading along with with Gujarat and the Centre that it should be permitted to continue with the system that extends AEPS to the aforesaid services along with PDS, lPG and kerosene.
Nevertheless, the apex court on Wednesday refused to immediately concede to the demand of the Centre seeking extension of Aadhaar for proof of identity by banks, stock markets and phone companies and also for measures needed to be taken on security fronts. Instead, the court referred the plea to a larger bench that will examine whether the mandatory nature of the scheme and its intrusive aspects encroach upon a citizen’s right to privacy.
Fear within the State Government prevails that the legal process may delay the project, what is being labeled as leakage-proof system, for the benefits of frauds and cheats.
“We were ready with the software that was developed for leveraging complete coverage for the midday meal scheme in about 45000 Government schools. Children after having lunch had to mark on the biometric machine that would confirm their physical presence. This could have been also useful in improving attendance system in schools. But now we will have to wait as the Constitution bench of the apex court is yet to be formed and decision in this regard hangs in fire,” reacted a top official.