To overcome the delay in payment of wages to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers in Jharkhand, allegedly owing to administrative apathy, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has piloted a project in Jharkhand.
Under the project, online authentication and Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) in respect of MGNREGS was conducted in three blocks of three districts.
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For the first time in India, the Ratu block of Ranchi district has implemented cash payments for the MGNEGRS workers by a biometric scan based on the UID. The banks have upgraded software and system to enable the payment.
At a press conference in Ratu on Friday, Ram Sevak Sharma, director-general, UIDAI, said: “A micro ATM device will be installed in every village so that the beneficiary can save time and money as we came to know through our research that travelling to any bank costs the beneficiary a day's wage. The AEPS will help to get payment on the same day when money is credited by the government.”
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“As the micro ATM will be connected online, the beneficiary may access his/her funds from any micro ATM from any village. This process will prevent rent-seeking and corruption, by giving the choice to the beneficiary,” he added.