Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary in a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Durga Bhumij said in the Assembly that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has cancelled distribution of Aadhaar cards through its empanelled enrollment agency.
He clarified that the Aadhaar Card has no relation with the citizenship issue or the update process of the National Register of Citizens.
The distribution process of Aadhaar cards was expected to begin from December last year by a UIDAI empanelled enrollment agency. But on December 4 it informed the state government of scrapping the process, he said replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds charge of the general administration department.
''Accordingly, the state government has taken initiative to begin the process by activating Aadhar kendras and has set the target date of distribution of the Aadhar cards as March 2018,'' Patowary said.
The Aadhar Kendras in the identified locations will be set up for the purpose, he added.
The government has already directed the deputy commissioners of the districts to take necessary steps in setting up these Aadhaar Kendras, Patowary said.