New Delhi: Delhi Government will soon sign
a pact with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
for smooth implementation of its ambitious project to issue
identification numbers to the city`s residents, who will
perhaps be among the first to get the identity proof.
Delhi Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit, while approving an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to be signed with the UIDAI, also decided constitute two
committees to oversee implementation of the project in Delhi.
"We have decided to sign an MoU with UIAI to provide all
possible cooperation to them and to make the project a great
success in Delhi," Dikshit said.
In September last year, after a meeting with Dikshit
chairman of UIDAI Nandan Nilekani had said that residents of
Delhi may get their identification numbers within three years.
The Authority has already signed similar pact with
some states and plans to enter into such agreements with other
states for its nation-wide project.
Dikshit said, "The project of this magnitude and
complexity cannot be implemented without active support of the
state governments and hence the city government has decided to
sign an MoU with the authority."
As per the MoU, the UIDAI will develop standards for
recording bio-metric data of residents and prescribe standards
and criteria for verification of residents to be eligible for
the UID and the city government will put in place an
institutional mechanism and provide human resources for data
collection.
The government will also provide required financial
and other resources to UIDAI.
The Revenue Department has been declared as the nodal
department for the project and divisional commissioners have
been designated as the Nodal Officers.
"The Cabinet has approved a draft MoU which will be
signed soon by the Chief Secretary on behalf of the city
government," the Chief Minister said.
Noting that the unique identification number to be
issued by the UIDAI would also help the city government to
more effectively deliver services to the people, she said it
will help identification of actual beneficiaries.
The collaboration with UIDAI will help accurate
verification and identification of beneficiaries for various
government schemes, officials said.
Stressing on the need for proper monitoring of entire
exercise, Dikshit said the Cabinet has also decided to
constitute an implementation committee with the Chief
Secretary as its chairman.
The cabinet has also decided to constitute a State
Level Council to be headed by the Chief Minister to monitor
implementation of the entire project.
Asked whether the Government will offer its database
of citizens prepared for Mission Convergence programme to
UIDAI, Dikshit said she will not have any problem sharing it.
Officials said the database of nine lakh households
and 42 lakh people is very comprehensive as it was prepared
based on biometric information of the residents.
PTI
