Where Is WIPRO's "Strategic Vision
On The UIDAI Project" Document?
By Gopal Krishna
07 August, 2011
Countercurrents.org
If the Prime Minister scrutinises the 'Strategic Vision on the UIDAI Project' that was prepared and submitted to the processes committee of the Planning Commission (set up in July 2006) by Wipro Ltd (consultant for the design phase and programme management phase of the pilot UIDAI project), he will get sufficient reason to dismantle the project. This vision document is missing.
Another 15-page document of Wipro, titled 'Does India need a Unique Identity Number?', cited the example of UK's Identity Cards Act, 2006 on page no. 6 to advance the argument on UID number in India.
Now UK's new government has abandoned its National Identity Cards Scheme and has announced it in the British Parliament. Is it the case that when UK implements national identity cards scheme, it should be cited as an example, but when it abandons the programme, it becomes irrelevant and illogical?
Why are Wipro, UIDAI, the Planning Commission and the prime minister silent about their UK example?
Is it not conflict of interest that after submitting the 'Strategic Vision on the UIDAI Project' (which is missing), Wipro has been getting contracts from UIDAI for 'Deployment of 7 project managers, supply, installation, commissioning for hardware - software for data centre at Bengaluru & NCR, deployment of 32 resource personnel and monitoring tools and hiring of data centre space (2,000 sq ft) & facilities for UIDAI at Delhi/NCR.' From December 2010 till May 2011, it has got four contracts amidst reports of irregularities.
Will the Prime Minister act or will he remain a mute spectator like he has been in the case of favours given to Reliance Industries while putting together a contract to extract natural gas found in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin, Commonwealth Games Scam, 2G Scam and Anthrix-Devas Scam?
Gopal Krishna
Member, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)
New Delhi
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