The ambitious scheme of providing unique identity number to the citizens of the country will get off on September 29 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presents first such number at a function in a tribal district of Maharashtra.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will also attend the function to roll out the 'Aadhaar' scheme at Shahada in Nandurbar district in North Maharashtra, sources said here today.

Under the scheme, a 12-digit unique number will be provided to every citizen of the country. As per the plan, the number will be given to 100 million people by the end of the current financial year and cover around 600 million Indians by 2014.

The number is aimed at ensuring that the citizens get more efficient access to national schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the public distribution system and a range of other services including banking for the poor.

The programme is being overseen by the Unique Identity Development Authority of India (UIDAI), which was set up in June 2009 and is headed by Infosys Technologies Ltd co-founder Nandan Nilekani.