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Nilekani
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New Delhi, Feb. 26: The Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council (NAC) appears to be coming around to backing the Centre’s Unique Identification programme, symbolised by the Aadhaar cards, but has warned against “rushing” through the project.
Nandan Nilekani, who heads the Unique Identification Authority of India that has been issuing the cards, made a presentation to the NAC this morning. The meeting, attended by Sonia, was followed by a discussion that a member described as “constructive”.
Nilekani, who sources claimed had not been “very responsive” earlier to criticisms and comments from panel members, today appealed to them to help pass a bill that will arm his authority with statutory backing. Right now, the scheme is being implemented through an executive fiat.
But the members urged caution. “Many states are not ready for it. Not everyone has a bank account,” an NAC source said.
Another key point made was that the UID compliance and the Aadhaar cards should not be a necessary condition for accessing public services.
The advice assumes significance as such cards are expected to be made a must to avail of the proposed direct cash-transfer scheme. NAC members today sought a degree of flexibility on what will work best: cash or kind. “In certain situations, cash will work, in others, kind will work,” said member A.K. Shiva Kumar.
While the consensus was that the “pitch for the UID must be positive, yet cautious”, the members believed that “technological solutions were not a substitute for good governance”.
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