TNN | Sep 10, 2013, 03.18 AM IST
KOCHI: A public interest litigation filed before the high court of Kerala has questioned the government decision to make Aadhaar-or unique identification number-mandatory for availing subsidized LPG cylinders.
The PIL former MLA Rajaji Mathew Thomas filed on Monday said the central government was holding divergent views on making Aadhaar mandatory for gas subsidy. The complainant requested the court for an order against tying Aadhaar with gas subsidy.
Thomas pointed out that an August 27 press release by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas contradicted the central government's stand in parliament that Aadhaar would not be made mandatory for purchasing LPG cylinders at a subsidized rate. The state government, meanwhile, has made the UID number mandatory from November 30 onwards.
The PIL, filed through advocate P R Reena, claimed that Aadhaar lacked statutory backing. The parliamentary standing committee on finance had rejected the National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010, introduced to give legal backing to the Unique Identification Authority of India.
After the bill was rejected, no attempt has been made to introduce any enactment to give statutory backing for Aadhaar card, since it amounted to violation of the citizen's right to privacy, guaranteed in Article 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner argued.
The PIL named as opposite parties the ministry of petroleum ministry, secretary of department of planning, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, and the state secretary of general administration department.
The court would take up the case for admission hearing on Tuesday.