Don’t pull UID ‘stunt’: Aadhaar officials tell political parties

While the job of contacting people door-to-door has been assigned to certain agencies,it has come to light that several political parties have been sending SMSes directly to citizens to collect Aadhaar forms from their party offices.

“This is a violation of the government resolution issued in September last year. We have got complaints only from Pune district. It is the duty of the registrar to keep a tab on any such events. We will be talking to them and there is a need for the registrars and the nodal officers appointed for the district to prevent such issues,” said senior officials of the Aadhaar office. Letters will be issued to prevent such activities,they added.

Aadhaar officials said it was a political stunt by parties ahead of civic polls in the city and gram panchayat and local body elections in other parts of the district.

Aadhaar officials,calling such efforts by political parties a gimmick,said it was the duty of the appointed agencies to reach out to people door-to-door. “People from the appointed agency are supposed to visit each home,take appointments and ask them to come for registration after taking a convenient time and date. This drive would take at least two years and there is no need in rushing to people with these kind of gimmicks,’’ added the officers.

In rural areas of the district,people from political parties assemble at gram panchayat offices to promote the drive. In city areas,SMSes are being sent directly from political parties. Pravin Ashtikar,the census officer at PMC,said he had issued a note stating that parties should not interfere in the drive. “I received complaints from some people about forms being sold. We have already circulated the same,’’ said Ashtikar,the nodal officer for the drive in the city.

People receiving SMSes believe political parties are trying to help. But Aadhaar officials said,“It is a political stunt ahead of civic election. The agencies have a written agreement with the government that they would do house-to-house campaign for the drive,’’ said .

Three lakh names have been registered in rural areas of the district while 1.5 lakh have been registered in the city. The figures across the state touched 80 lakh and 15 lakh have got Aadhaar numbers.