Lok Sabha Question No. 168 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-09
Subject: Jal Jeevan Mission
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Feroze Varun Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *168

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09/12/2021

## JAL JEEVAN MISSION

*168. SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether there is a need for linking the Aadhaar number of the head of the household with the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure piped water available to all and if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (b)   whether the Government is aware that India does not have 100% Aadhaar penetration;
- (c)   whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  as  per  Unique  Identification  Authority  of  India (UIDAI), around 95 types of errors could arise with the Aadhaar authentication  system; and
- (d)   the manner in which the Government is planning to ensure that households eligible for Jal Jeevan Mission would not be denied the benefits of the programme due to non-availability of Aadhaar card/number or errors in its authentication?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## Statement  referred  in  reply  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  168  to  be  answered  on 09.12.2021

(a) to (d) Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM),  a  centrally  sponsored programme,  to  make  provision  of potable  tap water supply to every rural household of the country by 2024.

For targeted delivery and monitoring of specific outcomes of JJM, provisions have been made for linking of every tap water connection provided to the household with the Aadhar of the head of  the  household  in  pursuance  of  section  7  of  the  Aadhar  (Targeted  Delivery  of  Finance  and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016) subject to statutory provisions. However,  in  the  case  of  non-availability  of  Aadhar  in  respect  of  the  beneficiary,  tap  water connection is being provided by producing the following documents, namely:

- A. if he has enrolled, his Aadhaar Enrolment Identification slip; and
- B. any one of the following documents, namely:
3. i.) Bank or Post office Passbook with Photo; or
4. ii.) Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card; or
5. iii.) Passport; or
6. iv.) Ration Card; or
7. v.) Voter Identity Card; or
8. vi.) MGNREGA Card; or
9. vii.) Kisan Photo passbook; or
10. viii.) Driving license issued by the Licensing Authority under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988); or
11. ix.) Certificate of identity having photo of such person issued by a Gazetted Officer or a Tehsildar on an official letter head; or
12. x.) any other document as specified by the Implementing Agency State Governments and Union Territory Administrations;

As  informed  by  Unique  Identification  Authority  of  India  (UIDAI),  Biometric  based  Aadhaar online  authentication  success  is  a  factor  of  quality  of  finger  print,  network  connectivity, placement  of  finger  etc.,  which  can  be  further  improved  by  use  of  iris  device.  Alternatively, UIDAI provides offline modes of verification which are not dependent on network connectivity or quality of biometrics and can be achieved by simply showing physical Aadhaar, e-Aadhaar, m-Aadhaar or sharing offline XML.

Further,  in  all  cases,  where  Aadhaar  authentication  fails  due  to  poor  biometrics  of  the beneficiaries or due to any other reasons, following remedial mechanisms have been provisioned as per S.O. 852(E) dated 24.02.2020:

- i.) In case of poor fingerprint quality, Iris scan or face authentication facility shall be adopted for authentication, thereby the Implementing Agency shall make provisions for Integrated Risk Information System  scanners or face authentication along with finger print authentication for delivery of benefits in seamless manner;
- ii.) In case the biometric authentication through fingerprints or Iris scan or face authentication is  not successful, wherever feasible and admissible authentication by Aadhaar One Time Password or Time-based One-Time Password with limited time validity, as the case may be, shall be offered;

- iii.) In  all  other  cases  where  biometric or  Aadhaar  One  Time  Password or  Time-based  OneTime Password authentication is not possible, benefits under the Scheme may be given on the basis of physical Aadhaar letter whose authenticity can be verified through the Quick Response  code  printed  on  the  Aadhaar  letter  and  the  necessary  arrangement  of  Quick Response  code  reader  shall  be  provided  at  the  convenient  locations  by  Implementing Agency.

Moreover,  Section 4(6) of the  Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery  of  Financial  and  Other  Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 provides for informing the Aadhaar number holder of alternate and viable means of identification and shall not deny service to him on this ground.

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