'Smart cardwala Aadhaar and paperwala Aadhaar, all for Rs 1,000'

If you thought Aadhaar cards were foolproof think again Despite the government ban on private bodies accepting documents to make them an investigation by midday has found that tiny illegal shops that promise you an Aadhaar card for a fee are rampant While news reports have often highlighted this in the city and suburbs midday has more proof of the unique identification numbers vulnerability this time in ThaneThe government has banned all private bodies from accepting documents to make Aadhaar cards Aadhaar Seva Kendras ASK have been set up exclusively at government offices such as post offices banks nationalised and private the BSNL or MTNL building etcThe Unique Identification Authority of India UIDAI has set up exclusive ASKs as a single stop destination for all Aadhaar services for residents but illegal private Aadhaar centres still operate in ThaneThe Thane Municipal Corporations TMC branch number 7 in Manpada gives tokens only to 25 customers to update their Aadhaar cardsSonawanes shop where he charges Rs 1000 to make an Aadhaar cardBarely 100 metres away is Baba Aadhaar Centre whose owner Anil Sonawane updates Aadhaar cards for a fee without checking relevant documents Customers prefer to visit his shop as they dont have to wait in long queues to update their UIDAI cardsAt Baba Aadhaar Centre one can update hisher address after giving Sonawane an affidavit which is illegal as per the rule of UIDAIIllegal centres make a killingYou will have to pay Rs 400 if you only want to changeupdate the mobile number If you want to change the address in your Aadhaar card you need to pay Rs 500 For this you need to give me a notarised proof mentioning your address Sonawane said on January 4 while talking to this reporterAnil Sonawane Baba Aadhaar CentreWhen this reporter asked him if the address can be updated if an affidavit is given Sonawane nodded and said If you dont have address proof get an affidavit of your address but you need to pay Rs 1000 The real charge for updating an Aadhaar card is Rs 50I will also give you one Smart cardwala Aadhaar card and paperwala Aadhar card You dont need to visit anywhere Ye sab 1000 rupaye mein ho jayega All this in Rs 1000 added SonawaneHe said he has been using the machines to update Aadhaar cards for which he has to pay a commission Also there are two operators at my shop and I pay each R12000 The rent of this shop is Rs 15000 I am not overcharging I have to run the shop too Sonawane saidWhen midday asked if he also makes a fresh Aadhaar card if one does not have address proof Sonawane got suspicious and said Dukaan par lekar aaoBalaji Consultancy and Services opposite Lokmanya Nagar bus depot in Thane has also been making and updating Aadhaar cardsThe shopkeeper said We charge Rs 300 for updating the mobile number in your Aadhaar card You can visit my shop next weekThe shopkeeper at Balaji Consultancy and ServicesHe justified the high charge saying Ye private Aadhaar centre hai government ka nahi Yaha 300 rupaye lagte hain This is not a government centre this is a private Aadhaar centreCharges at Aadhaar Service KendraUIDAI has defined charges to be paid by any resident wishing to avail Aadhaar Services at any Aadhaar Seva Kendra of their choice These areAadhaar enrolment ndash FreeMandatory biometric update for kids from age 5 to 15 ndash FreeAny demographic or biometric update by residents ndash Rs 50To download Aadhaar and get a colour print ndash Rs 30These charges are inclusive of any applicable taxes Residents can make the payment at the cash counters at ASK or make an online payment to be launched soon at the time of booking an online appointment on the UIDAI websiteGovernmentapproved Aadhaar Service Kendras nonfunctionalThis reporter also visited governmentapproved ASKs in private banks but none of them were functional This could be one of the reasons why many people prefer to approach the tiny illegal shops to get Aadhaar cards or to make changes in themIndusInd bank Ghodbunder Road1220pm January 4A banker here said the staffer concerned was unwell and all work related to Aadhaar card updation was on hold until he resumed work Interestingly he also said there was no token system there There is no token system to queue up for updating Aadhaar cards You can come between 1030 am and 4 pm on a working day and the person concerned when he resumes will help you he saidICICI bank Ghodbunder Road1235 pm January 4While the private Aadhaar card centres rented machines seem to be working all right here midday was told the machine had not been functioning for two weeks Deputy Branch Manager Anju Goswami said she had informed the Reserve Bank of India about it It will take another 1015 days to update the Aadhaar card here You can visit nearby banks Goswami saidKotak Mahindra Bank Vasant Vihar Branch140 pm January 4Here a banker said You need to visit the bank at 10 am when we hand out tokens to those who want to update their Aadhaar card Weissue only 25 tokens a day and the quota for todays tokens is over Please come back tomorrowThe queries mailed to General Manager Media Communications and Public Outreach UIDAI Vikash Shukla remain unansweredCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates