50% poor...

He also underlined that to address the potential failure of Aadhaar-based authentication, “alternative methods for identifying such persons shall be adopted after finding the causes of failure.”

Economist Ritika Khera said the use of Aadhaar in NSAP was a “terrible idea” that may lead to exclusion and other problems for the beneficiaries.

“In an Aadhaar-based system, no one else can withdraw money in a recipient’s account. And the rate of biometric failures is very high among old people. There is zero added value in Aadhaar,” she said.

Khera emphasised that some states send money via the age-old post office money order system or hand it over at monthly panchayat meetings.

“When you are dealing with old, fragile people with mobility issues, then sometimes technology can’t give the best results. Some states are doing very well in traditional methods of money transfers in NSAP. What we need is creating awareness about their entitlements,” she said.

Sinha, however, maintained that the government has the means to hand over money to poor, disabled people at their bedside.

He said meetings had been held