UID project delayed,March ’11 deadline looks unreal

“There is no news of the number of agencies appointed and so we are not able to decide on the staff to be dedicated for the project,” said a senior officer from the district collectorate. The official said with the delay,the March 2011 completion seems a distant possibility.

The project was earlier scheduled to start on November 1,after chairperson of the UPA Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the UID in Maharashtra from Nandurbar district. However,though the agencies have been finalised,they have not been allocated to each district. “The plan was to have two to three agencies in each district and have as many outlets in every taluka. Nothing has been finalised and there is no intimation from the GAD department at the Mantralaya,” said an officer.

Chief secretary J P Dange had conducted a workshop of collectors in the state to carry out the project from November 1 in Pune. “The recent Adarsh society scam and the impending Diwali festivities delayed the project in November and now with the winter session one cannot be sure whether it will take off soon,” said a senior officer.

The agencies,which will implement the project in Pune district,were finalised on October 25. “Unless a detailed plan is issued,we cannot carry out the programme,” said another officer at the collectorate.

The UID project will see enumerators collect data from door to door on the lines of Census operations. Once the data is collected,an individual will have to go to a booth for fingerprints,iris scan and photo ID proof. Divided into three parts — rural,Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas — the Pune district will have booths in every village.