Aadhaar link to job cards gains pace

RANCHI: Block development officers, rozgar sevaks and panchayat sevaks in Khunti are fast clearing backlogs in linking MGNREGA job cards and Aadhaar numbers after they were threatened with action.
The nodal officer for MGNREGA in Khunti had, on January 25, written to all BDOs to finish the process by January 31. According to the letter, job cards of 13,206 labourers in six blocks
were not seeded with Aadhaar numbers and bank accounts.The letter issued by the MGNREGA nodal officer has been seconded by office of the deputy development commissioner and deputy commissioner of Khunti directing the district officials to complete linkage or face action in the form of non-payment of salary.
Pushkar Singh Munda, DDC Khunti, said linking Aadhaar to the accounts of job card holders is a must. "But since our district has achieved nearly 80% of the target the payments of BDOs and other officials were released," he said. Aadhaar linkage seems to be top priority of officials in Jharkhand. After denying wage payment to labourers working under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment guarantee act in Khunti for not having their job cards linked to UID, instruction has been issued to the BDOs to complete seeding of Aadhar numbers against bank account of the labourers failing which the salary payment of block development officers, block programme officers, Panchayat sevak and Rozgar sevaks would be discontinued.
Rural development secretary Arun, however, denied that Aadhaar linkage is essential for wage payment under MGNREGA. He also refused having issued instruction to stop payment of administrative officials for failing to do so. "To my knowledge linking Aadhar number for wage payment is not essential," he said.
Similar instructions for completing seeding of Aadhar numbers and job card holders in Ranchi have also been issued by the deputy commissioner who recently asked the district officials to review the progress. Ranchi administration however has refrained from issuing any threat of holding back salary in case of delay.