Aadhaar operator found charging 100% GST on services

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

(Bhogpur) Jalandhar, Jan 12

An Aadhaar operator was found charging 100 per cent GST on the services without putting it on the official records at a market in Bhogpur. Despite strict directions issued by the UIDAI that the Aadhaar machines could only run from government offices, the machine was found being operated from a booth.

As per the government notification, the new enrolment and any upgrade for children from the age of 5 to 15 will be done free of cost. Also, the upgrade of any biometric data (in case of children) was to be charged at the rate of Rs 25 and the printout of the card at Rs 20.

However, the operator was found charging Rs 100 for every new enrolment at the spot. Also, she was found charging between Rs 50 and Rs 100 for the biometric upgrade and the printout of the Aadhaar card.

Refusing to reveal her name, the operator said though the fee for the new enrolment was Rs 25, she was charging Rs 25 as the GST.

“Apart from charging Rs 25 as fee, I am charging rest of the money as the GST charges,” said the operator, adding that she had to bear the cost of the printing as well.

Despite the UIDAI recently issuing a notification that the Aadhaar machines could only run from government offices, including post offices and banks, many operators could be seen flouting norms and running these from private places.

Sources claimed that since the machines could run without the GPS devices for up to 8 hours, the operators were even taking these to other districts to enroll new members. However, the District Food and Civil Supplies Controller (DFSC) Narinder Kumar claimed ignorance in the matter and said that he would get the claim checked by the technical team. The move was planned to prevent any malpractices in the Aadhaar programme which includes using any pirated software and also to stop these operators from charging exorbitantly from the public. In the absence of any check by the DFSC office, the operators were even found to be running these machines till late night from their homes and charging fee as per their discretion.

How do they dupe the public and charge extra? “Interestingly, these operators have planned a new modus operandi for this. While handing over the job receipt to someone, they cleverly tear the lower part of the paper which carries the fee details of the service. Also, the part contains the name of the operator and the place from where the card was made. Some of the operators in the district do not even put mobile numbers during the new enrolments.

This leaves a person helpless to lodge any complaint with the UIDAI about extra charges levied by the operator. A majority of the public remains unaware about the actual charges notified by the government and happily pay up to Rs 100 for the printing, which otherwise is for a mere Rs 20. Narinder Kumar said the operator had closed down his shop since the visit paid by The Tribune team. “We are keeping a check on the booth and will seize the machine once it will open again,” said Kumar.

The Deputy Commissioner said he would get the matter investigated soon.