The Prisons Department has taken up an initiative to issue Aadhaar cards to inmates in the Central Prisons and sub-jails in the State.
Around 1,000 inmates of the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru, which was the first to launch the Aadhaar enrolment drive a month ago, had been enrolled for the cards.
Additional Director-General of Police (Prisons) K.V. Gagandeep told The Hindu that the department had planned to issue Aadhaar cards to 14,500 inmates housed in jails across the State.
“This is perhaps for the first time in the country that Aadhaar cards were being issued to prisoners.
With this, the State has set a model,” he said. Mr. Gagandeep said the enrollment drive will soon be launched in the remaining Central Prisons, including in Mysuru and Belagavi.
“We hope to complete the exercise in about three months,” he said.
Enrolment centresThe senior IPS officer said the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) had established enrolment centres inside the Bengaluru prison and agreed to set up such centres in other prisons.
Mr. Gagandeep, however, said enrolment was not mandatory for prison inmates.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Prisons) P.N. Jayasimha said two enrolment centres had been established at the Bengaluru prison and about six persons from the UIDAI had been appointed to enrol the inmates.
Mr. Jayasimha said the ongoing effort would benefit the prisoners once they completed their jail term. Aadhaar number has become necessary for availing various benefits, he said.
The documents necessary for enrolling the prison inmates were being provided by the Prisons Department, he said.
