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PM sends Aadhaar to ‘aam aadmi’
Rolls out direct cash transfer system to check graft in govt funding of various schemes
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 20
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the Aadhaar-based delivery system will benefit crores of people through direct transfer of cash that will reduce the role of middlemen and bring down complaints of delay and leakage in government schemes.

Speaking at the launch of the Aadhaar-enabled service delivery system in Dudu near Jaipur, the Prime Minister, who spoke in Hindi, said the unique identity numbers will help 1.5 crore students get scholarships, 2 crore elderly get old-age pension, 3 crore to avail health insurance and 5 crore people to get the benefits of MNREGA.

The Aadhaar programme to deliver cash directly to the beneficiaries of government schemes is being billed as a trump card for the UPA government on the ‘aam aadmi’ theme and today’s rollout saw the big guns of the UPA including, its chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Singh said Aadhaar provides a resident with the right to an identity. The project is one of the most complex projects in the world which will improve access to many services.

Explaining the benefits of the Aadhaar number, the Prime Minister said it will help in opening a bank account, in getting a mobile connection, in travelling by train or air, and many other activities. Students will find it very convenient because today, they have to show their identity on many occasions, he added.

Aadhaar will be very helpful in ensuring that many schemes being run by the government are implemented more effectively. The Prime Minister emphasised that the benefits such as scholarships, pensions and health, which are given by the government, can now be transferred directly to the beneficiaries.

On the targeting of subsidies, the Prime Minister said often there are complaints that items such as gas connections, diesel and fertilizers, which get a lot of subsidy from the government, do not reach the needy and the poor. “With Aadhaar, we will be able to ensure transfer of benefits by cash to individuals. With the Aadhaar number, we can ensure that the money goes to the correct person and the role of middleman is ended with direct transfer of benefits to the needy, complaints about delay and leakage will also come down,” he added, while handing over Aadhaar number 21 crore to a villager here.

The Prime Minister said the government wanted to use new technology in a big way to curb dishonesty and bring transparency in governance.

12-digit magic

Aadhaar, a 12-digit number, serves as a proof of identity and address in the country

It is an online identity platform that can be accessed in real-time for authenticating beneficiaries and can be adapted by user agencies

It will be used for making payments to beneficiaries under MGNREGA, PDS, social security pension schemes, LPG distribution scheme, Chief Minister’s rural BPL housing and Chief Minister’s higher education scholarship