Bant: Teachers, students and their guardians in Bant block of Bhadrak expressed their displeasure over Aadhaar card registration of schoolchildren facing a setback owing to alleged non-cooperation of the administration.
As a result, students who are entitled to various benefits are being deprived of the same, they said voicing their resentment.
According to reports, the government has issued a directive to all school authorities to issue Aadhaar card numbers to students with instructions for the administration to extend cooperation in this matter. However, despite this directive, Aadhaar card registration of many schoolchildren has failed to make any headway till date.
About 15,000 students of schools under this block are yet to submit their Aadhar card numbers at their headmasters, and about 70 per cent of students have been unable to complete their biometric registration for the purpose.
The problem is that if students fail to produce their Aadhaar numbers to their headmasters within the stipulated time, they will be deprived of availing benefits like midday meals, free uniforms and stipend.
Students go to nearby Janaseva Kendras for biometric registration, but they alleged that they are being asked to pay for getting an Aadhaar card, which is in violation of government guidelines.
Many guardians said as the administration is not helping them in this matter, they have to struggle on their own to get Aadhaar cards for their children at the Jan Seva Kendras.
The mess came to light Monday when some teachers drew the attention of BDO Mahesh Choudhry at a meeting on the block premises. The officials present at the meeting said all Jan Seva Kendras under the block have been asked not to seek payment against Aadhaar registration.
Earlier, a biometric registration camp was organised on the premises of Gadachandi Upgraded ME School for students. A photographer was engaged in the drive, but it was stopped after a few days.
Some teachers alleged that the photographer did not turn up as his payment was not cleared. The school and mass education department had asked all the nodal officers of the district, who were looking after the MDM, to arrange Aadhaar registration of students.
As this drive could not be expedited, state nodal officer for MDM Gangadhar Sahu has issued a letter May 6, 2017 to all the MDM nodal officers in the district to hasten Aadhaar registration of students. All block education officers were also intimated about the fact.
The BEO of Bant block had instructed all CRCCs to do everything necessary in this regard May 23. “But no initiatives are being taken up now,” many guardians alleged. PNN
