UIDAI cracks down on 1,000 operators in 3 months for malpractices

FIRs have been filed against 20 individuals for charging Aadhaar enrolment

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has blacklisted or suspended around 1,000 operators while FIRs have been lodged against 20 individuals in the past three months for malpractices such as charging for Aadhaar enrolment.

The UIDAI has also slapped a penalty of Rs 10,000 each on these erring operators besides removing them from its system. 

“We have received certain complaints...We have a zero tolerance policy on overcharging. We have identified about 1,000 such operators since December 2016... In the last three months, these operators have been removed from our system and we are also imposing a penalty of Rs 10,000 each on them,” UIDAI Chief Executive Officer Ajay Bhushan Pandey said.

Removal of these operators from the system implies they would not be able to conduct enrolment for Aadhaar from anywhere in the country. 

UIDAI is the nodal body responsible for rolling out Aadhaar, the 12-digit unique number that identifies residents based on biometrics.

The authority swung into action after it received certain complaints about some of these operators charging money for enrolments — a service that is free of charge.

Some other instances relate to overcharging for updation of Aadhaar details, for which UIDAI has prescribed a rate of Rs 25, while some pertained to operators departing from the set procedures.

"We got certain complaints where people were being inconvenienced and sometimes they were being asked for money...So we have appealed that they (operators) should stick to the prescribed rates," he said.

In more severe cases, FIRs have been filed.

“We have filed FIRs against 20 persons,” Pandey said, hoping that the action by the UIDAI would be a deterrent for others trying to overcharge or not following proper processes.