In an effort to enable more residents to enrol for Aadhaar cards, the Department of Posts is procuring biometric devices to enable the facility in post offices across the State.
At present, only 13 head post offices in the State are offering the service for want of biometric kits. However, Aadhaar details can be updated at 72 post offices.
Chief Postmaster General, Tamil Nadu circle, M. Sampath said “We have identified nearly 1,435 post offices that would both enrol residents for Aadhaar cards and also update any change in details such as marital status and address. We are in the process of procuring and distributing the kits to the post offices. Nearly 12 post offices in Tirupur have already offering enrolment service as they have been provided with devices.” On complaints about delay in providing the facility, officials said such complaints surfaced during the initial days of operation and the staff members are being given training regarding the Aadhaar enrolment process.
In Chennai, customers can enrol for Aadhaar at the Anna Road HPO. In a few weeks, they would be able to enrol in other post offices as well.
Chennai GPO is gearing up to cover the marginalised sector and training its staff members to help residents get Aadhaar cards and reap the benefits of various social security schemes. Transgender persons and migrant workers from northeast India would be given priority in the enrolment process, officials said.
The number of post offices with the facility to update Aadhaar information would also be increased. In the Chennai region alone, 10 post offices, including in Triplicane and Anna Nagar, are functioning as updation centres. About 500 more such post offices would soon function as updation and enrolment centres.
So far, nearly 20,000 Aadhaar cards have been updated across the State and of these, about 15,000 are in the Chennai region. As the number of post offices is being increased, the department also expects to reach out to more residents.
Meanwhile, the department is also in the process of campaigning to link Aadhaar numbers with savings accounts. Nearly 33% of the 26 lakh accounts in Chennai region alone have been linked with Aadhaar. Special desks have been set up in post offices like Chennai GPO to help residents with Aadhaar seeding and notices are being issued to customers, officials at Chennai GPO said.
