As per a report by The Times of India, the Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Rs 2,000 Crores for setting up Aadhaar Centres in the premises of Post Offices across the nation. This step is aimed at phasing out private contractors from data collection process.
A number of complaints surfaced where private contractors have been caught committing petty corruption and frauds. This has also led to alleged leakage of UID data. The Supreme Court, in one of its judgements, had directed the Government to make provisions to protect UID data breach and corruption carried out at private Aadhaar centres.
The Government will open around 15,000 Aadhaar Enrolment and Update centres in Post Offices by March 31st, 2018. These centres will be opened in addition to those centres already operating in banks’ branches. By the end of this year, the Government has planned to open around 5,000 centres in Post Offices.
Even though most of the Aadhaar data was collected by private agencies in the past, the Government had ensured that the data never falls in hands of those agencies. In order to make this process more robust and secure, the Government has arrived at a conclusion that the process can be best handled by Post Offices and Public Sector Banks. These centres will be provided UIDAI-approved machines and personnel would be trained by the agency.
Currently, banks have 2,000 operating Aadhaar Enrolment and Update Centres. More than 15,200 banks are slated to provide Aadhaar facilities by 31st October, 2017. This step would not only ensure improved access for Aadhaar enrolment and update but also extend the reach of UID in remote areas.
