Kerala is slowly limping back to normalcy after the devastating floods, loss of property and important documents is among the many unavoidable impacts for many survivors. Transferring and accepting money in flood situation is very difficult. The banks and ATMs won't be opened and the normal people will suffer a lot because of this. If you want to send the relief money to the needy one, you can't send the money without a middleman. This can be easily changed by using Aadhaar and digital money transfer. Some of these methods are detailed in the following sections. We will also look at how the use of Aadhaar and related technology can be handy in keeping your documents safe in such situations too.
Now let's have a look at how we can transfer money through different ways. One of the methods is direct money transfer. In Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), there is a mechanism to hand over the subsidy and well-being amount instantly to the beneficiary’s bank account, instead of the existing practice of giving a banker's cheque or cash. By this, we can connect to the needy one’s bank account easily and can transfer the necessary amount.
In flood situation, there won’t be shops opened and we won’t have money in our hand. So to buy things from the shops are very difficult. In such cases, BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app will help to prevent this situation. You don't need to give money directly to the shop holder. Once you finish installing BHIM app you can transfer and receive money easily. BHIM app is supported by Aadhaar based money transfer technology.
By using the Aadhaar-based payment, users can pay by two options.
1. Mobile/Payment Address and
2. Account +IFSC.
Currently, the government has 14 banks on-board to support payments through Aadhaar Pay.
To make payments through Aadhaar, a user needs to click on Send money option, then on the three dots at the top of the menu. At that time options for Aadhaar Pay and Accounts + IFSC will open up. Then click on Aadhaar as the option, type the Aadhaar number. If it is linked to your bank account, you should be capable to transfer the needed amount.
For a BHIM transaction, two pins are required. One is the PIN for an app, which is saved locally on the phone and is needed every time a person starts BHIM. The other is the UPI PIN with which you set up a UPI account or a VPA and is required only when a transaction is taking place or you demand to see your account balance on the BHIM app. To close Aadhaar-based transactions, you will also need this UPI PIN.
Aadhaar based Digilocker is an effective way to digitize documents and these digital documents can come handy during emergency situations like a flood. Once your certificates are locked in a Digilocker, you don’t need to worry about losing data due to natural calamities as in the case of paper documents. The documents can be retrieved by single Aadhaar authentication without any other formalities and difficulties. At present many people are having to approach the authorities to have their documents reissued. The reissuing process is very much time consuming, manpower intensive and costly. All this could have been avoided by digitizing those documents and storing them in the Aadhaar Digilockers.
Given that Aadhaar Digilocker has not reached mass adoption we need to look at how you can re-apply for your important ID documents.
VOTER ID CARD: You can download the application form from www.ceo.kerala.gov.in and should submit it before the Electoral officer or Tehsildar along with a fee of Rs 25. In case you forget your Voter ID number, go to the 'Electoral Roll Search' option on the top-right side of the website's home page and enter your details. All Akshaya Centres will help you to walk through the process.
AADHAAR CARD: The UIDAI has led the Aadhaar enrolment centers in Kerala, including banks and post offices, to promote regaining of the 12-digit number. The free Electronic Aadhaar printouts can be collected from the enrolment centers by giving your biometrics along with name, address, and DOB. The instructions are being issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in this regard to the enrolment centers in the state. The enrolment agencies can also help in the regaining of Aadhaar numbers by visiting the relief camps.
With Aadhaar enrolment at 100 percent in Kerala, there is an estimated 3.6 crore unique ID number holders in the state. Those who have misplaced their Aadhaar document or card in the flood-hit state can avail the special search facility at enrolment centers to retrieve their 12-digit identification number and take printouts for free.
RATION CARD: A copy of the document could be used at the distribution stall to obtain your rations until you receive the new one. Temporary ration cards could be collected from your respective Taluk Supply Office upon a request in writing.
PASSPORT: All passports that were ruined in the floods will be recovered free of cost by the central government.
RC BOOK, DRIVING LICENSE: RC book and license can be replaced with new ones on submitting them to the office of the RTO. A NOC from the organization must be attached along if your vehicle has any pending loans. If lost permanently, write a letter of the same in the newspapers and pay a fixed fee. You will receive a duplicate within fourteen days.
So from this experience what we have learned is that Aadhaar card and Aadhaar technologies can be very useful in many grave and unprecedented situations as mentioned above. The Government may have approved many helpful services and other benefits to flood-affected people. A proactive adoption of Aadhaar technologies by the government would have helped people in getting back to normal much more quickly than what we are facing now.
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