Aadhar-enabled service system will bring transparency: PM

The UPA government today rolled out the direct cash transfer system under Aadhaar scheme to eliminate fraud and corruption with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying government will use technology to bring transparency.

The launch, marking the second anniversary of Aadhaar project, is aimed at checking corruption and pilferage in schemes and to bring transparency in implementation.

"Our government wants to make maximum use of technology, IT in particular, on large scale to make the administration accountable and to bring transparency and Aadhaar is a significant step in this direction," Singh, who launched the scheme in the presence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, said.

"We always make efforts to provide opportunities to people of economically weaker section to grow and prosper, and this project was also started with this objective. This will help crores of unemployed people. People face problem in starting a business or taking advantage of government¿s welfare schemes if they do not have a identity proof, and we want to remove such difficulties," he said.

"Cash benefits under the schemes will be transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries. On the basis of Aadhaar, we can ensure that benefit of schemes reach genuine beneficiaries and that there is no mediator," he said.

Handing over Aadhaar card number '21 crore' to Bali Bai, who hails from Udaipur district, Gandhi said, "It is the biggest scheme, of its kind, in the world and one of the important programmes of UPA government....the vision behind this is very clear- to provide Aam Admi a right of identity.

"This will transform lives of aam admi. It is being used as residence proof in few states, and this will help the government transmit subsidy directly to accounts of the beneficiary," she said.

The scheme will be used for making payments to beneficiaries under MGNREGA, PDS, social security pension schemes, LPG distribution scheme, Chief Minister¿s rural BPL housing and Chief Minister¿s higher education scholarship.

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