[Reader-list] Unique IDs to deliver goods from Dec ’09-166

[Taha Mehmood]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3692984,prtpage-1.cms

Unique IDs to deliver goods from Dec ’09
10 Nov 2008, 0203 hrs IST, Rajeev Jayaswal, ET Bureau


 NEW DELHI: The government is planning to issue a unique
identification (ID) to every citizen from December 2009, which would
help it in better governance, including targeting kerosene, cooking
gas, food, fertiliser, education and electricity subsidies. The task
of creating the database may soon be entrusted to the proposed agency
— UID Authority of India (UIDAI).

“UID would eventually pave way for the smart card system, a proposed
subsidy delivery mechanism, that would usher in a targeted subsidy
regime. It will also help in identifying citizens, a move to counter
terrorism from across the border” an official, who asked not to be
identified, told ET. A committee of secretaries (CoS) has proposed to
set up UIDAI by December 2008. Consequently, UID would be available
for use by an initial set of authorised users by December 2009, he
added.

The subsidy amount would be directly credited to the individual smart
card owners and that could be redeemed at authorised suppliers like
fair price shops, kerosene or cooking gas (LPG) dealers or fertiliser
outlets. The move is on the lines of the Eleventh Five Year Plan
(2007-12).

According to the Plan document, the smart card would have a memory
partitioned into distinct modules representing different entitlement
groups for which free services or implicit/explicit subsidies are
given. These include food and nutrition, energy (kerosene, LPG,
electricity), education services, health services, civic amenities and
services (drinking water, toilets/sanitation), employment (National
Rural Employment Guarantee) and economic/farming (fertiliser,
irrigation water, MSP).

It is likely that the government may form an empowered group of
ministers (E-GoM) that would approve constitution of UIDAI as proposed
by the CoS. A similar structure is proposed at states level.
“Initially, the body would be constituted through an executive order
and later it would be invested with statutory authority, if needed,”
the official said.

The UIDAI would create its initial database from the electoral roll
and electoral photo identity card (EPIC). The data would later be
authenticated through the below poverty line (BPL) and public
distribution system (PDS) data. It is likely that the Central
authority of UIDAI would be established under the Planning Commission
as it is the only agency that deals with most of the central
departments, states and union territories.