Chandigarh, February 16: To enable eligible beneficiaries getting their dues promptly in a transparent manner, the Punjab Social Security and Women & Child Development Department has initiated the program of Aadhar linkage as identity document for the beneficiaries of Financial Assistance to Disabled Person (blinds, handicapped, deaf & dumb and mentally retarded persons) Scheme.
Giving further details, Punjab Social Security and Women & Child Development Minister Aruna Chaudhary, on Saturday, informed that the department has started the process to link Aadhaar number with various schemes so that the beneficiaries get their dues in an uninterrupted manner. She said, an individual eligible for receiving the benefits under the scheme shall hereby be required to furnish proof of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication, adding that any individual desirous of availing benefits under the Scheme, who does not possess the Aadhaar number or, has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, should have application for Aadhaar enrolment and such individuals shall visit any Aadhaar enrolment centre to get enrolled.
The Cabinet Minister said that the department will provide Aadhaar enrolment facilities for such beneficiaries who are not yet enrolled and in case there is no Aadhaar enrolment centre located in the respective Block or Tehsil, the department will make arrangements of Aadhaar enrolment facilities at convenient locations. She informed that till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the individual, benefits under the scheme should be given to such individual, who will furnish his/her Aadhaar enrolment identification slip, voter identity card, voter list, birth certificate, matriculation certificate , disability certificate. These documents may be checked by specifically designated officers of the department.
“In all cases, where Aadhaar authentication fails due to poor biometrics or due to any other reason, then iris scan or face authentication method should be adopted for authentication and the department will make provisions for iris scanners or face authentication along with finger-print authentication. In case the biometric authentication through fingerprints or iris scan or face authentication is failed, then authentication by Aadhaar One Time Password or Time-based One-Time Password with limited time validity shall be offered wherever feasible and admissible”, said the Minister, adding that in all other cases where bio-metric or Aadhaar One Time Password or Time-based One-Time Password authentication is not possible, benefits under the Scheme may be given on the basis of physical Aadhaar letter.
