Gujarat to set up State resident data hub, Modi gives ‘mission mode’ status to UID Adhar card project

Ahmedabad, 27 July 2013

A high-level review meet headed by the Chief Minister Narendra Modi decided to expedite the process of issuing Aadhar Card (UID) and to undertake it as a campaign on mission mode. The meet also decided to create a ‘state resident data hub’ comprising the details of aadhar card holders who are beneficiaries of various multipurpose welfare schemes of the state government.

Earlier the Chief Minister had asked the cabinet sub-committee to prepare a report with a view to ensure maximum benefits in a planned manner to the aadhar card holders keeping in compliance with the guidelines of the central government. As per the suggestions made by the cabinet sub-committee the Chief Minister gave inputs for expediting the aadhar card registration and issuing process and to expand its reach in a swift manner.

Ministers Anandiben Patel, Raman Vora, Ganpatsinh Vasava, Saurabh Patel, Babubhai Bokhiriya, Chief Secretary Dr. Varesh Sinha, Principal Secretary Dr. Hasmukh Adhiya and Ms. S. Aparna took part in the meeting.

During the meet the Chief Minister acquainted the participants the mechanism for extending benefits directly to the true beneficiaries with the use of transparent aadhar card data bank. Aadhar card holders could be contacted with a simple mobile phone message. The Chief Minister pointed out importance of aadhar card for identifying true beneficiaries of Garib Kalyan Mela. He also gave directions for getting rid of the issues like scheme duplication and the mismatch identities.

The Chief Minister asked to make a well-planned use of technology and aadhar card for extending benefits of various welfare schemes. He also suggested undertaking a campaign for people’s awareness and make use of mobile MMS and m-governance technology for acquainting people about the entire process of getting aadhar card and the benefits available to aadhar card holders.

It is noteworthy that the Gujarat government has initiated in using technology for making available benefits of various pro-people schemes to beneficiary citizens, particularly the poor.

As of now the state has about seven aadhar enrolment agencies. This number will be increased to 35 and the educational institutes, cooperative banking sector, cooperative dairies, agricultural produce market committees, gram panchayats and e-gram centres will also be incorporated in the entire mechanism. From May 2012 till now, about 1.58 crore aadhar card enrolments have been made and about 1.24 crore cards have been issued through 3170 centres. Now, with the card issuing going mission mode, it will accelerate the entire process and widen its reach. It is worth mentioning here that the Centre-sponsored direct cash subsidy transfer scheme has been in implementation from July 1, 2013, in four districts of Gujarat – Anand, Mehsana, Vadodara and Bhavnagar, in which, a data of beneficiaries of 28 welfare schemes of the state government has been prepared.