Bangalore has a long wait for its date with UID

If you are keenly waiting for your own unique identification (UID) number, have patience. It is not due until 2012.

The process of collecting biometric data like fingerprints and iris mapping for the UID will only begin by the end of 2011, officials in the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), told DNA.

The delay is because of the cautious approach by the UIDAI officials to the data collection considering the vast floating population in Bangalore.

“The data that needs to be processed in Bangalore is vast and cumbersome. There is a large floating population and it’s a dynamic city. We have to do a lot of groundwork before going ahead with the project in the IT city,” an official said. “We may start the process only by the end of 2011.”

Another UIDAI official said the preparations before the phase of distribution of UIDs takes time, and if the population density is more, the time taken would be longer. “The collection of biometric data of citizens and preparing the databasewill need  will time. We will look at Bangalore only by the end of next year,” he said.

Towards that end, a pilot project will be taken up in the second half of 2011 in select wards of Bangalore to begin collecting the biometric data of the citizens and distribute the UID numbers, sources in the state e-governance department, which is the nodal agency in Karnataka to implement the project named ‘Aaadhar’, said.

“Based on that experience, we will go ahead for large scale distribution of UID numbers. We will work in coordination with the civic agencies, namely BBMP (Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike), the urban deputy commissioner’s office and other departments, to execute the project,” a senior official from the department said.

“Currently, our target is to cover only two districts —Tumkur and Mysore — in 2010. As far as Bangalore is concerned, we need to learn from the experience of other districts and then go ahead,” said a UIDAI official.