A major set back for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Government, the supreme court questioned West Bengal Government for challenging the linking of the Aadhaar or national identification number to government welfare schemes. The court hit back at WB Government by asking, How can a state government challenge a law passed by the Centre.
The Bengal government is among those who have challenged the rule to link the 12-digit unique identification number to welfare schemes. Petitions also challenge the linking of Aadhaar to bank accounts and mobile phones, which is also submitted by Bengal’s petition is being heard along with another petition filed by social activist Raghav Tankha challenging the linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones. These petitions are being taken up separately from a batch of 21 petitions already being heard by the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.
The center says that the 12-digit unique ID or Aadhaar assigned to citizens is a must for government services, filing returns, financial transactions and even mobile phones services. After recent reports showing that poor families being denied subsidized food grain in Jharkhand for not having Aadhaar cards, the centre asked states to ensure that people are not deprived of food. Later, the government last week extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar to government welfare schemes to March 31 from the end of the year, but only for those who do not have an Aadhaar card yet.
The Supreme Court has asked whether the deadline should be extended for all. The government is expected to respond to that question today. Critics say the Aadhaar identity card links enough data to allow profiling because it creates a comprehensive profile of a person’s spending habits, friends and acquaintances, property and other such data.
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