Adhaar Centre
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: There are Aadhaar centres in 580 post offices under the Department of Post (Bihar Circle), yet only 215 are currently operational. The remaining 365 centres have been shut for the past six months due to various issues. As a result, thousands of people are turned away disappointed every day.
According to information from the Department of Post, Siwan Division has Aadhaar facilities in 33 post offices, but only three are functioning, leaving 30 closed. Similarly, in Saran Division, just 13 out of 43 centres are operational, with 30 non-functional. This has led to hundreds of people being unable to access Aadhaar services daily.
In Bhojpur Division, 39 post offices house Aadhaar centres, but only seven are active, meaning 32 remain closed. Meanwhile, Patna Division has 41 centres, but only 19 are processing Aadhaar enrolments or updates, with the other 22 shut for the past four months.
Regional Breakdown
- Bhagalpur: Only 10 out of 32 centres are operational.
- East Champaran: 10 out of 31 centres are working; 20 are closed.
- Saharsa: 18 out of 24 centres are active, while six remain shut.
- Patna Sahib: Just five out of 21 centres are functioning, with 16 closed for months.
- Nalanda: Eight out of 20 centres are open; 12 are inactive.
- Samastipur: Seven out of 20 centres are operational.
- Begusarai: Only nine out of 27 centres are processing applications.
Reason for Closures
The Department of Post states that most Aadhaar centres are closed due to technical issues, primarily because the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has blocked their user ID numbers. New registrations are delayed as UIDAI has not allocated slots for verification, leaving many centres unable to function.
Pawan Kumar, Postal Director of Bihar Circle, said the postal department has been striving to reopen the closed centres. Officials have been in regular contact with UIDAI over the past six months and have held multiple meetings, but no resolution has been reached. This delay continues to cause significant inconvenience, particularly for children and other vulnerable groups reliant on Aadhaar services.
