E-Governance: 23/2/10

UID AUTHORITY LIKELY TO GET RS 2,000 CRORE IN BUDGET
New Delhi
Financial Chronicle

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is likely to spend Rs 200 per head for providing a 16-digit number to people as the allocation for the ambitious project may see a 20-fold increase in the 2010-11 Union Budget.

The UIADI, for which government had earmarked Rs 100 crore in the last fiscal, may get an allocation of nearly Rs 2,000 crore in this year's budget, official sources said.

The authorities are planning to rope in vendors in all the cities who would be paid Rs 200, half of which will be spent on opening a bank account of the resident who is to be issued the unique 16-digit number, the sources said.

UNIQUE ID FAUX PAS IN PRESIDENT'S HINDI SPEECH
Aloke Tikku, New Delhi
Hindustan Times (Delhi edition)

A faux pas by the government officers in President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's address to the joint session of the Parliament has resulted in red faces in the government.

Patil -- who read her speech in Hindi -- said the unique identity number would be given to all citizens though the government's stated policy is that every resident would be given the unique number. The English version, however, said the card was for all residents.

The Unique identity would leave out lakh of people under its coverage if the unique number is restricted to citizens, as they would have to produce documentary evidence of their citizenship.

BIOMETRIC SURVEY IN PANCHKULA
Chandigarh
Hindustan Times (Chandigarh edition)

A biometric survey of all unauthorised slum dwellers in Urban Estate, Panchkula, will be carried out by February 27. A spokesman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) said that slum dwellers who were encroaching HUDA /government land in Urban Estate Panchkula could join the biometric survey.

He said any claim in this regard would not be entertained after February 27.

MCA TO ISSUE NEW FORM TO HELP E-FILING
Chennai
The Times of India (Chennai edition)

To ease problems faced by companies in e-filing, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) is planning to issue Form 68, a top official said on Monday.

“Stakeholders were facing problems in the online process, the ministry is planning to issue Form no 68 by March 15,” said R Bandyopadhyay, secretary, MCA, at the sidelines of a meet organised by the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Bandyopadhyay said the e-stamp facility has received great responses from the state governments including Tamil Nadu. e-stamping is helping companies speed up registration.