J&K to launch unique family ID system for every household
text_fields
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration is set to roll out a unique family identification system for every household in the Union Territory, in a bid to streamline public service delivery, enhance beneficiary outreach, and establish a unified data source for effective planning and governance.
The move was discussed in a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Saturday, where the groundwork for the initiative was laid out. Officials said on Sunday that the proposed family ID system is expected to provide comprehensive insights into the reach and impact of beneficiary-oriented government schemes, ensuring that all eligible citizens receive the services and benefits due to them.
Calling the initiative a transformative step, Dulloo said the unique family IDs will play a crucial role in building a more accountable and responsive administration. “It is a critical step towards fostering a more accountable and responsive administration,” he stated, noting that the system will not only streamline welfare delivery but also significantly improve governance efficiency.
Secretary of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department (PD&MD), Talat Parvez, provided an in-depth overview of the initiative, highlighting the urgent need for such a unified system in Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasised its immense potential for the general public and detailed a robust implementation strategy to ensure its successful rollout.
Secretary of the Information Technology Department, Piyush Singla, elaborated on his department’s central role in executing the programme. He underscored the availability of substantial technical resources and infrastructure within the IT Department, affirming that the necessary systems are in place to realise the vision across the Union Territory.
A key concern addressed during the meeting was the repetitive requirement of documents and verification processes by various government departments. Officials noted that this redundancy has long burdened citizens and strained government machinery. The family ID system is designed to eliminate such duplication by serving as a single, authoritative source of verified household data, thereby simplifying procedures and optimising resource utilisation.
Discussions also touched on the existing difficulties citizens encounter in accessing welfare schemes and the administration’s own hurdles in effectively targeting and delivering these services. Officials said the family ID project is expected to overcome these challenges by enabling seamless, targeted service delivery to the most deserving.
The meeting included detailed deliberations on the primary data sources that will form the basis of the family IDs, specifically referencing databases such as the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Provisions for future updates to the ID data—accounting for births, deaths, and migration—were also discussed to ensure the system remains dynamic and reflective of real-time demographic changes.
Officials concluded that the initiative represents a pivotal step towards modernising public administration in Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to create a streamlined, inclusive, and citizen-centric model of governance.
With PTI inputs
