TV
In a significant move towards streamlining government service delivery and enhancing transparency, the Odisha government has made Aadhaar mandatory for availing various state-level services and official certificates.
A recent directive from the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management outlines that Aadhaar will now be a compulsory requirement for individuals applying for a range of essential documents.
The decision has been taken with the aim to simplify the service delivery process, ensure authenticity through identity verification, and facilitate direct benefit transfers by verifying beneficiaries' eligibility through Aadhaar.
The Odisha government intends to leverage the Aadhaar system to eliminate duplication and ensure that benefits reach the rightful recipients without intermediaries.
From now on, applicants seeking key documents such as caste certificates, income certificates, legal heir certificates, land record-related papers, and registration documents will need to furnish their Aadhaar number. This move is expected to bring about greater efficiency and accountability in the issuance of such vital government records.
To ensure that this policy is effectively implemented even in remote and unserved areas, the department has tied up with the Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to facilitate Aadhaar enrollment. Special arrangements will be made in regions without existing enrollment centers to enable people to register for Aadhaar and comply with the new requirement.
However, recognizing that not all applicants may have an Aadhaar number immediately, the notification has also provided interim relief. Until their Aadhaar number is officially assigned, applicants can continue to use alternative identity documents such as PAN cards, passports, or voter ID cards, along with their Aadhaar enrollment slip, to complete their applications.
The government’s initiative is part of a broader strategy to digitize public services, enhance transparency, and promote inclusive governance by linking identification processes with Aadhaar—a unique and biometric-based identity framework.
