Govt raps states over slow Aadhaar progress

Scores of students in government schools across the country may be deprived of midday meals if their states continue the slow progress in getting them enrolled under Aadhaar.

A number of states such as West Bengal have not shared any data with the HRD ministry while others like Uttar Pradesh and Mizoram have only managed to get 26% students enrolled under Aadhaar, with Nagaland having 15% enrolment, Delhi 79% and Bihar 63%. Concerned over the slow progress, the ministry has written letters to 16 states, asking them to expedite the process so that students continue to get middays meal as it has now been linked to Aadhaar.

The last date for enrolment under Aadhaar is August; those who have an Aadhaar number or have at least enrolled under it will get mid-day meals, officials said.

“The enrolment under Aadhaar would enable us to eliminate the proxy enrolment and provide benefits of the scheme to deserving children in a seamless manner,” reads the letter.

“Despite letters from the ministry to furnish a detailed action plan to complete 100% Aadhaar enrolment, no response from Government of Delhi has been received. I understand that due to the summer vacations, the enrolment exercise was hampered. However, now the schools have reopened, I earnestly suggest the Aadhaar enrolment campaign be given an added thrust by the Government of Delhi in a time-bound manner and be monitored personally,” says the letter.

Gangadhar Sahoo, state coor- dinator of the scheme, said Odisha has managed to get 78% of kids in the age group of 5-18 years enrolled, but only 28% of them have Aadhaar numbers. “We expect to generate Aadhaar by the end of July. The respective headmasters would collect them and get seeding done.”

“We have so far achieved 85% of the target. We want to finish it before the deadline. But it all depends on UIDAI required to make Aadhaar cards,” said Binod Kumar Singh, director, mid-day meal scheme, department of HRD, Bihar.

A NUMBER OF STATES SUCH AS WEST BENGAL HAVE NOT SHARED ANY DATA OF ENROLMENT WITH THE HRD MINISTRY