Shillong: Aadhaar enrolment in Meghalaya has started picking up pace especially after several services, including bank accounts and permanent account number (PAN) cards, have to be linked with the Aadhaar number.
In Meghalaya, Aadhaar enrolment commenced in 2013, but opposition from pressure groups and other quarters slowed down the process.
However, in recent months from May onwards, the enrolment drive has again picked up pace.
The state government had signed an agreement with Avvas Infotech, a Hyderabad-based IT consultancy services company, in April for Aadhaar enrolment.
As of July, of a targeted population of 32,30,132, around 3,15,112 were enrolled under the scheme .
The enrolment figure, however, has gone up to 4,63,058 or 14.3 per cent as on October 15.
Meghalaya and Assam are the lowest-ranked states in the country when it comes to Aadhaar enrolment.
The overall enrolment of citizens for Aadhaar in the country stands at 87.8 per cent (as on October 15).
One of the main reasons behind more people lining up for Aadhaar, although there are still reservations expressed in relation to matters of privacy, is the linking of services like bank accounts, PAN cards, and mobile numbers to the Aadhaar number.
Just on Saturday, the RBI clarified that bank customers have to link their Aadhaar number to their bank accounts by December 31.
The RBI had come out with the clarification to quell confusion raised by certain reports that Aadhaar linkage was not mandatory.
In June, the Centre had issued a notification saying that if a bank account holder failed to link the Aadhaar number by December 31, the account would be frozen until the information was provided to the bank.
On Tuesday, a public meeting called by the Meghalaya Peoples' Committee on Aadhaar will be held here to enlighten participants about the early beginnings and progress of Aadhaar enrolment, reservations against Aadhaar, the Supreme Court's interim order on Aadhaar enrolment, the apex court's ruling on right to privacy, opting out of Aadhaar enrolment and others.
Organisers said the public meeting would be the last meeting before the Supreme Court gives its final ruling on matters related to Aadhaar.