Aadhaar norm may deprive NRIs mobile connections

THRISSUR: The NRIs may find it difficult to get mobile connection after February next, when Aadhaar will be made mandatory for getting a phone connection. As per the prevailing laws, Aadhaar will be given to NRIs only if they stay in the country continuously for 180 days.
The BSNL officials said they had already written to the telecom enforcement and monitoring (TERM) wing of the DoT seeking a clarification.“Anyway there is time until January 30, and by then the issue will be sorted out,“ said chief general manager of BSNLKerala, P T Mathew.
However, the NRIs argue that they must be given the mobile connection of an Indian telecom operator as a legitimate right of an Indian citizen, based on documents like a passport. J K Nair, an NRI from the UAE had a harrowing time when he tried to get a local connection.
“I came to Kochi on Sunday to attend my mother-inlaw's funeral at North Paravur. I wanted to take a local mobile connection, and it was after a prolonged argument a private operator gave me a connection. But soon after the service became operational I started getting messages saying that my connection will be disconnected unless I submit my Aadhaar details,“ said Nair.“But as of now I cannot get Aadhaar unless I stay in India for six months continuously, which is not possible,“ he said.
As of now, many NRIs are taking mobile connections in the names of their relatives or friends who have Aadhaar.
“Even conservative estimates indicate that about 25 lakh to 35 lakh of Keralites are working abroad. Some of them may have been working there for 20 to 30 years, and may not find it easy to locate relatives or friends who will be willing to lease out their telephone connections,“ said MLA K V Abdul Khader who is the chairman of Kerala Legislature Committee for NRIs.