Faced with the daunting task of screening criminals posing as visitors to jails, the Telangana Prisons Department (TPD) has found a solution, thanks to the Aadhaar system. In the near future, all those visiting prison inmates should carry their Aadhaar cards.
Preventing cheatingThe Aadhaar ID as well as the biometrics of the visitors will be verified with the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) server to check if the visitor’s identity is genuine. The TPD had recently sought support from the UIDAI for this initiative.
“We want to be sure of the antecedents of the visitors,” said A. Narasimha, IG, Telangana Prisons. “There might be attempts by terrorists or anti-social elements to meet people in jail for criminal activities. They might show fake identity documents too. But by introducing Aadhaar verification at jails, there is no scope for cheating. Additionally, we would also know further details about the visitors who might come across as suspicious. If the visitor is from the other State, it is also easy to enquire if they are having any criminal background there.”
Mr. Narasimha said the new system would be implemented in a couple of months. “First, we will implement it in all central jails and then extend it to district jails.”
The UIDAI, which usually shares a one-time data of photographs and basic details of Aadhaar card holders for government projects, will not do so in this case.
SharingHere, it will be a case-by-case sharing where a system will be installed at the jails. Whenever a verification request is sent through the system, the central server of the UIDAI will respond within seconds with the results. Presently, the UIDAI is collaborating and sharing the Aadhaar data with various State governments free of cost till March 2016.
Published - August 11, 2015 03:26 am IST
