Aadhar number may be mandatory identification for availing various government services, yet there are a number of people especially tribals and rural folk, who can’t avail of welfare schemes due to lack of a basic identity document. But, every tribal in Kerala’s Wayanad district has not one but six basic documents – Aadhaar Card, Ration Card, Birth/Death Certificates, Election ID card, Bank Account and Health insurance.
It has thus earned a unique distinction of being the first district in the country where entire tribal population has all the six basic documents to facilitate benefits of various government schemes.
This is the result of a sustained campaign – Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitisation (ABCD) – undertaken by the district administration of Wayanad under the guidance of IAS officer A Geetha has taken up the.
IDENTIFICATION
ABCD project started with a survey conducted by Special Tribal Promoters in coordination with each Panchayat to know the number of ST beneficiaries without the six basic documents. The official said, “This helped us in planning the logistics and schedule of camps to be conducted across various local bodies.”
The documents of the tribal people are digitized and saved in Digilocker accounts opened for each of them. Special camps are organised in each panchayat to distribute the documents. Since all the departments are brought under one roof in a camp, each beneficiary gets all the needed services in the camp itself, thereby saving them the time and effort of visiting several offices. Apart from the six basic documents, other services like Income certificates, Ownership certificates, Age certificates, Application for various new pensions etc. were also provided at the camps.
Officials said, “Digitizing the documents through Digilocker will help the ST beneficiaries to preserve the documents in their digital form so that they can be easily retrieved in case the documents are lost or damaged due to a disaster or the absence of physical safekeeping.”
PROVIDING DOCUMENTS
The District Administration has till now provided 1,42,563 services to 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as part of the ABCD programme. These includes ration card to 15,796 families, Aadhaar cards to 31,252, birth certificates to 11,300, voters identity cards to 22,488 and digital locker facilities to 22,888 persons. Apart from the special camps in each local body, Gothra Souhrida Counters (Tribe Friendly Counters) have also been opened in all the 66 Akshaya centres in the district. These counters give free services to ST beneficiaries on priority basis. Those unable to reach ABCD camps were brought to these special counters so that all services can be availed.
