Bengaluru : In order to meet the Sep 30 deadline, banks are scrambling to set up Aadhaar enrollment and update centres after Unique ID Authority of India (UIDAI) asked them to do so. The banks are required to have one centre for every 10 branches they operate.

The UIDAI had earlier asked the banks to set up Aadhaar enrolment centres by August 30.The deadline was extended to Sep 30 after banks sought extra time for sourcing biometric devices, and identifying authorised agencies.

In a circular to the banks, the UIDAI said it will impose a penalty of Rs 20,000 per month for every single centre not opened by the bank before the deadline.

The Centre is trying to step up Aadhaar service centres as every account holder is required to submit the Aadhaar number to banks by December 31. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) too has extended the last date for linking Aadhaar with PAN to December 31.

Bengaluru-headquartered Canara Bank said it is opening 1040 Aadhaar centres all over India.

Canara Bank will open the first centre at the Jayanagar shopping complex branch on Sep 25 followed by 18 more centres across the city, according to its CEO Rakesh Shrama.
The banks are ready with the infrastructure but have transferred the onus on Aadhaar agencies to set up theirs, hopeful of making all functional by October 1.

In Bengaluru, the government closed down many centres following complaints of malpractice. With fewer centres in operation, people in large numbers waiting for long hours to avail Aadhar related service has become the order of the day in the recent past.