Aadhaar is smarter than smart cards as anyone can use it as identity proof to get a telephone connection or open a bank account, besides being a labour- friendly authentication 12-digit number, a senior UIDAI official said today.

Speaking at an international conference here, Unique Identification Authority of India's Director General R S Sharma said India is a country where people migrate anywhere and always in need for new connections for telephone, LPG cylinders and other things.

He said attesting a ration card of a different place would be turned away by the service provider, but armed with Aadhaar, a person, on being transferred, could get his telephone connection or open a bank account anywhere in the country.

"And Aadhaar is helpful for those who don't have any identity proof to avail various services, including welfare programmes of the governments. It's a huge cost savings and transparent," he said.

Noting that Aadhaar would prove targeting delivery and services, reduce cost of delivery services, can clean up existing database of multiple and fake entries, he said it was a provision of a robust, reusable ID to those who did not have ID proof.

Daily wage earners, having Aadhaar, can withdraw their money from any part of the country through selected business correspondents and the process has started from Jharkhand recently, he said.