Nearly 6 lakh in Meghalaya still without Aadhaar; govt races to bridge identity gap

Despite commendable progress in biometric enrolment, nearly 6 lakh residents in Meghalaya are still without Aadhaar, posing a major hurdle to accessing government welfare and development schemes.

 The state government is now working in overdrive to bring every citizen under the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) database.

According to officials, East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills—two of the most populous districts—have seen only 75% and 83% Aadhaar coverage, leaving over 3.27 lakh individuals outside the system. East Khasi Hills alone accounts for 2.31 lakh unregistered people, while West Garo Hills has over 96,400 yet to be enrolled.

“We are working overtime to get everyone enrolled under UIDAI,” a senior official told PTI. “Currently, around 28 lakh people have been enrolled in the state, but we’re seeing reluctance or apathy in certain pockets.”

West Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills districts have some of the lowest Aadhaar coverage, registering 68% and 67% enrolment, respectively.

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Still, the government has earned accolades for its focused drive. Meghalaya recently won two national awards for top performance in mandatory biometric updates of children and adult Aadhaar verification. The Aadhaar team has registered over 37,000 children below five years and more than 6.93 lakh minors aged 5–18 years. Over 20.67 lakh adults above 18 have been enrolled so far.

State Nodal Officer for Aadhaar, Joram Beda, expressed satisfaction at the recognition, attributing it to the “unwavering commitment” of field workers, district officials, and technical teams.

“This recognition reflects the dedication of our Aadhaar teams,” he said. “We will continue working to improve Aadhaar outreach, ensuring every resident in Meghalaya has access to their unique identity and essential government schemes.”

The Aadhaar enrolment drive remains critical as it is the gateway to most central and state-run schemes—ranging from direct benefit transfers and pensions to education and food subsidies.