Cabinet to clear funds for UIDAI
With the August deadline for launching the first set of Aadhaar numbers drawing near, the government is all set to loosen its purse-strings for the UIDAI.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which is slated to meet tomorrow under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will be considering a proposal to provide about Rs 3,000 crore for the UIDAI to start rolling out the numbers.
The UIDAI plans to issue 60 crore Aadhar numbers over the next four years. According to its time frame, the first set of UID numbers is to be issued sometime between August 2010 to February 2011.
In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had announced Rs 1,900 crore for the UIDAI for the current fiscal. The proposal for about Rs 3,000 crore will be in addition to the funds allocated in the Budget.
The Union Cabinet, which is also slated to meet tomorrow, is likely to consider a proposal for amendments in the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 to provide speedy disposal of consumer complaints.