Garhwal Post Bureau
Sitarganj, 30 Jan: The administration in Sitarganj of Udham Singh Nagar district has sealed an Aadhaar enrolment and update centre after uncovering serious irregularities. It has been alleged that the centre was found to be involved in fraudulent updating of Aadhaar cards and charging fees in excess of the prescribed rates. Acting on complaints related to the misuse of fingerprint stamps and overcharging from consumers, the tehsil administration conducted a raid at the Aadhaar centre located in the Mandi complex. The inspection confirmed the allegations, following which the centre was sealed and a formal complaint was submitted to the police seeking registration of a case and strict legal action against those responsible.
During the raid, it was found that Aadhaar updates were being carried out using counterfeit fingerprint stamps instead of live biometric authentication. The investigation further revealed that the fingerprint stamp of the authorised operator was being used to process Aadhaar updates, while unauthorised persons were allegedly operating the centre and collecting amounts higher than the officially notified fees. The administration also noted that no fee list was displayed at the premises, in violation of mandatory guidelines.
Tehsildar Himanshu Joshi stated that a complaint had been received from a citizen alleging overcharging at the Aadhaar centre in the Mandi complex. Considering the seriousness of the matter, he reached the spot along with the administrative team and carried out a raid, which confirmed the complaint. During the inspection, Mohammad Faizan was found present at the centre along with fingerprint stamps, while the authorised operator of the Aadhaar centre is Vikram Singh, a resident of Majhola.
The team recovered and seized two laptops, fake fingerprint stamps and several important documents from the centre. On the basis of these recoveries, the Aadhaar centre has been sealed until further orders. Tehsildar Himanshu Joshi said that it was verified during the raid that Aadhaar updates were being carried out through fraudulent means and that members of the public were being charged more than the prescribed rates. He added that the fingerprint stamp of the authorised operator was also found at the centre, confirming serious violations of rules.
A written complaint has been handed over to the police for the registration of a case and initiation of legal proceedings against the accused. The administration has asserted that strict action will be taken against anyone found misusing Aadhaar-related services or exploiting the public under the guise of official facilities.
