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Government Data Management

Haryana To Launch Project On PDS-UID & State Resident Database

By Priyadarshini Paul | 4 April 2011

Haryana is set to launch its PDS (Public Distribution System)-cum-Unique Identification Number) UID-cum-State Resident Database Project (SRD) in April, 2011. Conceptualised as an optimal three-in-one solution, the PDS database will be family centric, the UID will hold the ‘Know Your Resident’ (KYR) data-set and the State Resident Database will have some incremental demographic fields known as the KYR+ data fields. The biometrics (all 10 finger prints, IRIS and the facial image) would be common to all the three databases. The KYR+ database will be hosted in the State Data Centre which is in the process of being set-up simultaneously.

Speaking to FutureGov, Y.S. Malik, Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Haryana said, “We have decided to combine three projects into one primarily with a view to saving the citizen from repeated botheration as the citizen enrolment exercise, which is common to all, can be completed in one shot. All the biometric and demographic fields are covered under the KYR+, which also meet the requirements of the PDS and UID components. The SRD is planned to comprise of the core data, which is largely non-dynamic in nature, and which can be used for referencing by all the departments managing various benefits management programmes such as Food and Civil Supplies, Social Security benefit schemes such as the old age and other pensions.”

With a population of about 2.5 crores, creation of this resident database will help in streamlining the ‘benefits management programmes’, ensure that the benefits reach the targeted beneficiaries and a useful tool to save on duplicate and bogus claims.

The delivery of citizen services based on validated data to avoid any ‘leakages’ and ‘duplicate payment’ are considered to be the biggest advantages of this project. Further, it would make it much easier and faster to deliver identification related services e.g. Birth Certificate, Residency Certificate, Caste Certificate, Death Certificate etc. “For instance the old age pension department has its own database. Now the moment they correlate that with the SRD, it would help them to sanctify their and validate their data. Also, once you have captured the date of birth of a person, be it document based or self declared, the Social Justice Department would be able to make a nearly correct projection about the new additions or entitlements on year-to-year basis as you can immediately derive from the database the number of persons who would be completing 60 years of age to qualify for the old age pension as new beneficiaries”, Malik added.

The major challenge likely to be encountered in this project would be the validation of data in the urban areas where, unlike in rural communities, society is ‘not cohesive’, hence the only way to verify data would be through supporting documentation. Malik highlighted, “When you hold a camp in a village gram sabha, a number of village level officials and the Panchayat members are available who can be picked up as ‘authorised persons’ who know the personal details of each of the villagers. That way validation is much easier in the rural set-up because it comes through a public meeting of the gram sabha. So the chances of any incorrect verification coming in are minimal. In urban areas, especially in slums, data validation is a challenge. We will have to associate the Municipal corporators and the ward representatives to ask for the citizen supporting documentation. Let us see, we will cross the bridges when we reach there,” he said.

Another equally big challenge would be the integration of the SDR with the departmental programmes to make optimal use of the data asset. Some of the departments have yet to take up their e-governance solutions and the integration would have any meaning only when they are e-ready to use the database.

The Department of Food & Civil Supplies has already finalised the selection of agency in a consortium of TCS and Vakrangee Software for the project implementation as a system integrator. The first place would start with the exercise for enrolment of the residents. “By mid-April, we plan to provide them with the complete details of data to be captured in the process of enrolment, thereafter, they would get the hard copies of enrolment forms printed along with simultaneous working on the development of software,” Malik informed.

The estimated cost of enrolment for the SRD is around Rs. 55 (approximately US$2) for each entry that will also include the cost of Smart Card for PDS. For SRD and UID, it is likely to be in the range of Rs. 25-30 rupees. However, what is going to cost much more is the integration of this data with various departmental initiatives and its management subsequently.

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