PM Narendra Modi tells ministries to go whole hog for Aadhaar-linked schemes

Giving a major boost to UIDAI-run Aadhaar platform, a brainchild of former PM Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for accelerating the delivery of benefits, and expanding the applications of the Aadhaar (UID) platform in least possible time.

The decision comes in the wake of super savings that have been achieved in various benefit schemes by plugging leakages and de-duplication by way of Aadhaar number.

Earlier, in November last year, the PM had tasked his trusted aide Nripendra Misra to get cracking and roll out the unique ID numbers for 110 crore citizens within five months.

In a review meeting of the progress of UID and DBT, where Union home minister Rajnath Singh, ministers of state in the finance and home ministries Jayant Sinha and Haribhai Chaudhary, vice chairman of the NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya, and senior officials from various ministries were present, the PM called for expansion of the applications of the Aadhaar platform, so that its benefits can be extended to as many public services as possible.

Modi directed the concerned officials of Niti Ayog, UIDAI and NPR to identify applications, where concrete results can be achieved in the next two months.

"We have been asked to seed Aadhaar number with all the benefit schemes and strengthen the institutional mechanism related with Aadhaar and DBT, using a portion of the savings that has been achieved through stopping leakages and de-duplication," said an official who attended the meeting.

The Prime Minister was informed that a total of 14 to 15 percent saving has been being achieved in LPG subsidy alone, as a result of elimination of leakages, and de-duplication.

Besides, the PM also asked officers to examine the possibility of incentivizing states through a one-time sharing of a portion of the savings, as a result of successful implementation of DBT schemes, said an official of Niti Ayog.