Letters: Aadhaar's benefits

Apropos your editorial “UID’s unintended effect” (November 27) the implementation of Aadhaar may lead to financial profligacy, but it will have its own advantages in terms of cost effectiveness by cutting down the multi-layered subsidy delivery system through the state and district administrations. Direct transfers will also help plug the diversion of subsidies. This is evident, for example, in a project to reform the public distribution system (PDS) using Aadhaar in the Kotkasim district of Rajasthan. Before the project, PDS shops in the district used to sell their entire allotted stock of 84,000 litres of kerosene a month. Now that Aadhaar has been implemented, they sell 22,000 litres a month. This is ample proof that subsidised kerosene was being diverted for other purposes. It is, however, a fact that, with or without Aadhaar, there is no stopping our politicians’ extravagant use of state finances for doling out sops to keep their vote bank intact. It is sad that more and more of taxpayers’ money is being used to fund welfare schemes, instead of infrastructure and other growth schemes that will help the economy grow and ultimately benefit all levels of society.

V Sridhar, Kolkata

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