Aadhaar data collection to begin in Assam from December

Guwahati, Sep. 2 (PTI): Data collection for Aadhaar card would start from December in Assam, the only state besides Jammu and Kashmir where the Aadhaar process has not taken place. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a review meeting here today was informed by General Administration Department (GAD) that data collection for Aadhaar card would begin from December 1 and the whole process would be completed within a year, officials said. The Chief Minister said local vendors must be engaged in the process that entails ab expenditure of Rs 160 crore for providing Aadhaar card to 3.18 crore people of the state. Sonowal asked the GAD to undertake awareness campaigns through street plays and short films for making people aware about the importance of Aadhaar card. At the meeting, the chief minister also asked officials to identify land in Barak Valley for construction of a mini secretariat to dispel the feelings of alienation among them. The secretariat would facilitate smooth delivery of various services to the people living in Barak Valley and speed up the growth of the region, he added. Sonowal directed the judicial department to take action for setting up courts at the newly formed districts of the state and also suggest ways for upgrading the curriculum of law colleges in the state to make them at par with the best law colleges in the country.