1,000 prisoners enrol for Aadhaar

Over 1,000 prisoners from the Bangalore Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara have enrolled for Aadhaar cards.

The prison authorities coordinated with the Unique Identification Authority of India to set up a kiosk inside the prison to enrol undertrials and convicts.

“Aadhaar card has become an important requisite for various purposes. The process to enrol the remaining 3,000 prisoners is on,” said Jayasimha, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons.

As part of the process, the prison staff have to provide the residential address of the inmates from the police and prison records. This rules out the possibility of discrepancies since police officials would have examined the residential address personally, he said.

He said that the card would not only act as an identity proof, but also help the inmates avail benefits they are entitled to once they are released from prison.

Tracing tool

Citing an example, Mr. Jayasimha said since Aadhaar has become mandatory, the inmates could use them to avail themselves of a loan or employment.

Additional Director-General of Police (Prison) K.V. Gagandeep said the Aadhaar scheme would soon be extended to other prisons across the State. Apart from making prisoners feel part of society, the cards will also serve as a tracing mechanism for the police if prisoners go back to a life of crime after they are released, he said.