Old #Aadhaar applicants may have to reapply #UID #WTFnews

By Ambika Pandit, TNN | Feb 12, 2013,

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NEW DELHI: Applied for an Aadhaar card before April 1, 2012, but haven’t got it yet? You may have to apply all over again. A lot of data related to applicants who enrolled for the Aadhaar unique identification number in the first phase has apparently been either lost or rendered unusable due to “encrypting errors”.

UID Authority of India on Monday told the Delhi government that applicants whose status on the e-aadhaar website reads “can’t be processed due to technical reasons” will need to re-enroll – unless they have given their biometrics for the National Population Registry card.

Delhi government data shows 1.36 crore citizens, out of a population of 1.67 crore, have enrolled for Aadhaar. Delhi has made Aadhaar card mandatory for more than 20 services, including property and marriage registrations.

Many enrolled in 2011 but no Aadhaar card yet

The government now says it has no readily available data on how many people had enrolled for the card before April 1, 2012.

“UIDAI has clarified that applicants will have to re-enroll under three conditions. One, if their status on the e-aadhaar website says ‘rejected’. Two, if it shows ‘not found’ and, three, if enrolments were done prior to April 1, 2012 and the status shows ‘cannot be processed due to technical reasons’,” Dharampal, Delhi’s revenue secretary & divisional commissioner, told TOI. The revenue department is the coordinator for Aadhaar regis8trations in the city.

Dharampal had sought UIDAI’s clarification on the status of Aadhaar enrolments done six or more months ago. Sources said the Aadhaar website may also show an applicant’s status as ‘rejected’ if the person had made multiple registrations. The government is seeking a clarification on this.

As the state government prepares to put up helpdesks at the offices of the deputy commissioners in 11 districts now that the surge of crowds has overwhelmed the counters, TOI found many hassled Delhiites who had enrolled as early as 2011 but are yet to get their Aadhaar cards.

One such couple, Hemchand Jain and his wife Santosh, were seen doing the rounds of the east district deputy commissioner’s office. Jain, a resident of Kailash Nagar in East Delhi, said he had enrolled for the UID number way back in October 2011 but is yet to get the number.

Jain was frustrated and anxious because he would now have to apply for the card afresh. “I am 66 years old. They should have a system to give us information at the counters itself. Everyone does not have access to internet,” he said.

Similarly, Pooja Verma, a mother of two, had applied for the card in August 2011. While her husband has received his Aadhaar number, she still awaits it. She had come to an Aadhaar enrolment camp to inquire about her status but could get no information there.

Dilip Kumar Vaidya, a music teacher from Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi, said the entire Aadhaar enrolment process was marked by chaos. “I enrolled in 2011 and got my Aadhar card in early 2012. Suddenly, there was a buzz in our colony that all cards have been cancelled and everyone would have to enroll afresh. I enrolled a second time in June last year but am still awaiting my number. I don’t know if the old number stands,” he said.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of the people landing up at Aadhar counters, the personnel there often have little information about the peoples’ queries.

The queues at Aadhaar counters have grown by the day, ever since the city government decided to make the UID number mandatory for 20 critical services from January 1 this year. These include property and marriage registrations and all certificates such as domicile, income and caste.

The revenue department has taken the lead in making Aadhaar necessary for availing 20 services rendered by it. Other departments will follow gradually. The state’s cash transfer schemes and cash for food scheme under Anshree Yojna have also been linked to Aadhaar ID.

Those enrolled under the ongoing National Population Register by the Union home ministry need not apply separately for Aadhaar.