Punjab has started UID Aadhaar enrollment drive during March 2011. The state is gearing up to provide Aadhaar UID cards to all its 2.8 crore people to make the governance efficient and transparent. A unique 12 digit Aadhaar UID will be linked to the implementation of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Punjab. Apart from taking biometrics, the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department will also collect the details of ration cards and LPG connections through prescribed Aadhaar forms. People have to submit the forms along with all relevant copies of certificates and documents. The application forms will be called as Know Your Resident Plus (KYR+) form, an independant version of Punjab. The PDS is a more contentious issue in Punjab and the Government is likely to make Aadhaar a mandatory for the beneficiaries of the scheme.
After the issue of UIDAI Aadhaar number, new database of the beneficiaries will be stored for the purpose of implementing foodgrains, kerosene and LPG schemes. All the PDS and Kerosene depots will be provided with a device to log on to the UIDAI server and confirm the biometrics of the beneficiaries. The Govt. of Punjab is trying to create awareness among its people through adopting slogans such as ”Ration lene ho javega asaan, jido hovega adhaar pehchan’, which means that it will be easier to get rations, if you have an Adhaar identity. Aadhaar camps will be opened n the districts of Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Nawanshahr, Mukatsar, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Moga, Patiala and Rupnagar.
More than 2,000 biometric machines are deployed in the all the 20 districts of Punjab to collect fingerprints and Iris impressions. The Govt. of Punjab has started the Aadhaar enrollment process simultaneously in all the districts to complete the project in a single phase. Once the project is completed, the Govt. is thinking of bringing more schemes under its ambit. All the warda and villages in Punjab will an Aadhaar UID enrollment centre / camp for at least 10 to 20 days depending on its population. There will be five to six biometric machines in each center. The Govt. is also arranging some mobile centres for the convenience of disabled people.