Each family in J&K to have unique alpha-numeric code

JAMMU, Dec 11: The administration is planning to create an authentic database of all families in the Union Territory with each of them having a unique alpha-numeric code — the objective being easy selection of eligible beneficiaries of various social welfare schemes.
At the recent national conference on e-governance in Katra in Reasi district, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar released the Digital J&K Vision Document, unveiling the Government plan to create an authentic, verified and reliable database of all families of the Union Territory.
According to the vision document, “Each family will be provided with a unique alpha-numeric code called JK Family ID. The data available in the family database would be used to determine eligibility through automatic selection of beneficiaries for receiving social benefits.”
“The database would identify each and every family in J&K and would collect the basic data of the family, provided with the consent of the family, in a digital format.”
The document further reads that all the applicable laws and regulations in respect of data protection shall be complied with in the management of data.
To thwart risks and protect sensitive and critical data, it said the Jammu and Kashmir Government plans to work on an information security policy and also envisages formulation of appropriate cyber security framework.
Officials said the objective of creating the database, which will be at par with Haryana's ‘Parivaar Pehchaan Patra', is that families or individuals will not have to apply to receive benefits under each individual scheme.
“Once the data in the JK Family ID database is authenticated and verified, a beneficiary will not be required to submit any more document to avail a service,” they said.
The vision document itself acknowledges that in the absence of coherent policies relating to data security and privacy, the progress of digital transformation is bound to be slow and fraught with several risks.
According to the vision document, over the next five years the Government aims to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and equitability in the delivery of public services and all the functions of the Government using emerging technologies.
As per the Vision Document, the J&K Information Privacy Policy will be notified for protection of Personally Identifiable Information encompassing the principles of Notice, Purpose, Consent, Security, Disclosure, Access and Accountability.
All the departments and agencies of the Government and their service providers shall be required to comply with such Privacy Policy by defining suitable processes for implementing the principles and publishing their privacy policies on their websites.
On Policy on Procurement for Digital Transformation, the Vision Document revealed that most projects related to digital transformation are impeded at the procurement stage despite the best intentions and consequently, the opportunities for transformation remain unrealized.
Therefore, it said, there is an acute need to undertake procurement reform in this area to bring about innovation and flexibility in designing and implementing projects and to meet requirements of new business models.