SHILLONG: Contrary to the numbers (9,114) provided by the Cabinet Minister HDR Lyngdoh regarding the bio-metric cards (Aadhaar) in the State Assembly on Thursday, Union Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh informed Rajya Sabha that as on March 9, the number of Aadhaar generated in the Meghalaya stood at 21,099.
A PTI report from Delhi said that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has generated 78.59 crore Aadhaar numbers as on March 9 although they are not mandatory for availing the benefits under various schemes.
“The Aadhaar generation crossed 70 crore mark in October 2014 and a total of 78.59 crore Aadhaars have been generated in the country as on March 9,” Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh said in Rajya Sabha. He further said: “Aadhaar is not mandatory for claiming direct cash transfer for LPG subsidy or for opening of accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna.” On the Aadhaar enrolments in North-Eastern states including Meghalaya, he said: “The enrolment for Aadhaar is in progress in the entire country including Northeastern states. In Meghalaya where enrolments are undertaken by Registrar General of India under National Population Register process (NPR), the activity has currently been put on hold by the state government due to some local administrative issues. As on March 9, the number of Aadhaar generated in Meghalaya stands at 21,099,” the Union Minister said in Upper House.
Earlier, while replying to a resolution moved by Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) in the State Assembly on the need to “put on hold the implementation of NPR till a comprehensive mechanism to tackle illegal immigration is evolved”, the Minister HDR Lyngdoh said that in Meghalaya, NPR bio-metric enrolment was launched on June 20, 2013 in Shillong Municipal Board area and after the first round of enrolment in three wards (No 0001,0002,0003), the biometrics of 9114 persons were captured. “The process was put on hold on 25.07.2013 due to the opposition of some NGOs citing lack of clarity on NPR”, he said