Bhubaneswar: Aadhaar has demonstrably simplified Indian lives, with Odisha spearheading its utilization for revolutionary schemes like Subhadra, Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja declared at a state-level workshop on “Deriving maximum impact out of Aadhaar.”
The coordinated use of the Aadhaar ecosystem across state government departments can fully realize potential opportunities, making lives smoother and more efficient for Odia citizens.
The workshop, a joint initiative of UIDAI’s Regional Office, Hyderabad, and the Department of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of Odisha, emphasized Aadhaar’s role as the nation’s most trusted identity document.
Odisha is a leader in Aadhaar linkage, thanks to consistent efforts by the Electronics & IT Department and OCAC, stated Principal Secretary Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, while underscoring the need for more proactive efforts in linking Aadhaar for children under five, a focus area for the Women & Child Development and Electronics & IT Departments.
Contrary to common belief, Aadhaar stores only seven essential pieces of information, yet significantly simplifies Indian lives; approximately 95% of the country’s population holds Aadhaar cards, facilitating nearly 9.38 crore daily authentications and delivering benefits of over 2,400 welfare schemes.
UIDAI CEO Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar lauded Odisha as a leading state in Aadhaar adoption and innovative scheme implementation, noting the government’s directive for 550 institutions in banking, insurance, and telecom to utilize the Aadhaar ecosystem.
Karnataka’s Aadhaar-based Land Management System, explained by its Revenue Department Commissioner Shri Sunil Kumar Pommala, offers a model for improving farmers’ lives in Odisha by identifying and correcting asymmetries. Senior UIDAI officials shared detailed information on Aadhaar’s effectiveness and applications.
Notable contributors to Aadhaar linkage in Odisha, including OCAC CEO Dr. Pradeep Kumar Raut, Shri Pradeep Bishoi, and Sujit Kumar Raut, were felicitated.
The workshop, attended by senior officials from all state government departments and Aadhaar stakeholders, began with a welcome by UIDAI DDG Smt. P. Sangeeta and concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri Debaraj Rath, Director of UIDAI’s State Office in Bhubaneswar.