UID second phase to begin this month but BMC covers only half of target population

Assistant Municipal Commissioner (BMC planning cell) Y S Mahangade said,“The biggest challenge has been lack of awareness among citizens. As many as 48 per cent of the people covered are mostly those who had some knowledge of the project but it will be difficult to bring in the rest under the net as most are clueless.”

“We are now awaiting directives from the Centre and state government for implementing the second phase of the project this month,” Mahangade said.

While some officials claimed that poor infrastructure and insufficient machines resulted in longer queues and waiting time,which in turn discouraged citizens,others blamed the low enrolment on lack of awareness.

Officials in-charge of implementing the scheme said the lack of initiative from agencies that are enrolling citizens is a bigger challenge. “Initially,the agencies had initiated many awareness drives about the project but gradually they slowed down,” said a senior civic official.

Although the BMC had appointed five IT firms to carry out the project last year,the state government is set to float new tenders in which the payment rate for enrolment is expected to go up to make the enrolment per individual feasible for companies.

With much debate regarding the feasibility,usability and security of the project a few weeks ago,civic officials admitted that although the second phase is set to begin this month there is no clarity on how to go forward with the implementation.

A senior civic official said,“We have identified the loopholes in the implementation of the project,but after the debate about the project there has been no word from the Centre or state government. There is a lot of confusion regarding the role of IT companies that are enrolling citizens at a cost that’s apparently not lucrative to them. In such a scenario,we are finding it difficult to involve ourselves and meet the target.”

The UID card will be a citizen’s exclusive identification tool that will facilitate opening bank accounts,booking tickets on the Internet,buying ration card etc. The card is also aimed at helping devise and identify beneficiaries for various government schemes,especially for below poverty line families.