AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 4836 - LPG subsidy transfer to bank accounts leaves consumers baffled

In 2009, I became extremely concerned with the concept of Unique Identity for various reasons. Connected with many like minded highly educated people who were all concerned.

On 18th May 2010, I started this Blog to capture anything and everything I came across on the topic. This blog with its million hits is a testament to my concerns about loss of privacy and fear of the ID being misused and possible Criminal activities it could lead to.

In 2017 the Supreme Court of India gave its verdict after one of the longest hearings on any issue. I did my bit and appealed to the Supreme Court Judges too through an On Line Petition.

In 2019 the Aadhaar Legislation has been revised and passed by the two houses of the Parliament of India making it Legal. I am no Legal Eagle so my Opinion carries no weight except with people opposed to the very concept.

In 2019, this Blog now just captures on a Daily Basis list of Articles Published on anything to do with Aadhaar as obtained from Daily Google Searches and nothing more. Cannot burn the midnight candle any longer.

"In Matters of Conscience, the Law of Majority has no place"- Mahatma Gandhi

Ram Krishnaswamy

Sydney, Australia.

Aadhaar

The UIDAI has taken two successive governments in India and the entire world for a ride. It identifies nothing. It is not unique. The entire UID data has never been verified and audited. The UID cannot be used for governance, financial databases or anything. It’s use is the biggest threat to national security since independence. – Anupam Saraph 2018

When I opposed Aadhaar in 2010 , I was called a BJP stooge. In 2016 I am still opposing Aadhaar for the same reasons and I am told I am a Congress die hard. No one wants to see why I oppose Aadhaar as it is too difficult. Plus Aadhaar is FREE so why not get one ? Ram Krishnaswamy

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.-Mahatma Gandhi

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.Mahatma Gandhi

“The invasion of privacy is of no consequence because privacy is not a fundamental right and has no meaning under Article 21. The right to privacy is not a guaranteed under the constitution, because privacy is not a fundamental right.” Article 21 of the Indian constitution refers to the right to life and liberty -Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

“There is merit in the complaints. You are unwittingly allowing snooping, harassment and commercial exploitation. The information about an individual obtained by the UIDAI while issuing an Aadhaar card shall not be used for any other purpose, save as above, except as may be directed by a court for the purpose of criminal investigation.”-A three judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said in an interim order.

Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan describes UID as an inverse of sunshine laws like the Right to Information. While the RTI makes the state transparent to the citizen, the UID does the inverse: it makes the citizen transparent to the state, she says.

Good idea gone bad
I have written earlier that UID/Aadhaar was a poorly designed, unreliable and expensive solution to the really good idea of providing national identification for over a billion Indians. My petition contends that UID in its current form violates the right to privacy of a citizen, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. This is because sensitive biometric and demographic information of citizens are with enrolment agencies, registrars and sub-registrars who have no legal liability for any misuse of this data. This petition has opened up the larger discussion on privacy rights for Indians. The current Article 21 interpretation by the Supreme Court was done decades ago, before the advent of internet and today’s technology and all the new privacy challenges that have arisen as a consequence.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP Rajya Sabha

“What is Aadhaar? There is enormous confusion. That Aadhaar will identify people who are entitled for subsidy. No. Aadhaar doesn’t determine who is eligible and who isn’t,” Jairam Ramesh

But Aadhaar has been mythologised during the previous government by its creators into some technology super force that will transform governance in a miraculous manner. I even read an article recently that compared Aadhaar to some revolution and quoted a 1930s historian, Will Durant.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha MP

“I know you will say that it is not mandatory. But, it is compulsorily mandatorily voluntary,” Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Saba April 2017.

August 24, 2017: The nine-judge Constitution Bench rules that right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty”and is inherently protected under the various fundamental freedoms enshrined under Part III of the Indian Constitution

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the World; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” -Edward Snowden

In the Supreme Court, Meenakshi Arora, one of the senior counsel in the case, compared it to living under a general, perpetual, nation-wide criminal warrant.

Had never thought of it that way, but living in the Aadhaar universe is like living in a prison. All of us are treated like criminals with barely any rights or recourse and gatekeepers have absolute power on you and your life.

Announcing the launch of the # BreakAadhaarChainscampaign, culminating with events in multiple cities on 12th Jan. This is the last opportunity to make your voice heard before the Supreme Court hearings start on 17th Jan 2018. In collaboration with @no2uidand@rozi_roti.

UIDAI's security seems to be founded on four time tested pillars of security idiocy

1) Denial

2) Issue fiats and point finger

3) Shoot messenger

4) Bury head in sand.

God Save India

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

4836 - LPG subsidy transfer to bank accounts leaves consumers baffled - Hindustan Times

LPG subsidy transfer to bank accounts leaves consumers baffled

Jyotsna Jalali, Hindustan Times Chandigarh, October 11, 2013

While many consumers across tricity who have Aadhaar cards have started getting subsidy on LPG cylinders from October 1, but there is still confusion on the amount being transferred as subsidy in their accounts.

Meanwhile, those without Aadhaar cards will continue to get cylinder at the subsidised rate of `419 till December 31 this year, following that it will depend upon the policy of government of India.

The customers are getting `435 as subsidy in advance, in addition to the `609 which is the actual subsidy they will be getting on the purchase of each gas cylinder. However, many are not being able to understand the double amount being transferred to their bank accounts.

Customers are unaware that `435 is just one-time benefit they will be getting under the government of India scheme. In subsequent months, the entire subsidy amount will be transferred only after the dealer concerned puts the delivery note of for particular customer online that would be `609.

Also, there are customers who in addition to `435 have received a total of `592 as subsidy in their account while they should have got `609. There are many others who haven't received subsidy at all.

Speaking to HT, a city-based dealer said, "I have consumers coming to me asking for the remaining subsidy amount, but I have no answer to their question. All we can do is put forth a question to the companies on their behalf."

"We ourselves are not being able to handle the booking properly with this new online system, for most of the time servers are not functional properly and we cannot connect online. There are glitches and we hope they settle with time," the dealer added.

Customers feel that this system of getting subsidy in bank accounts is not customer friendly and not many people keep a check on small amounts being transferred to their accounts.

Praveen Aggarwal, who is associated with a dealer in Sector 37, said, "This system was supposed to be foolproof and to help customers, but I don't see it happening. I got subsidy twice in my account and I was not sure how it happened. Nobody has made us aware on the advance part. Dealers don't have answers to our queries and we are bound to pay the entire amount as cooking gas cylinder is essential. Government officials and dealing companies should come out clearly on the policy."

Different dealers across the tricity said, "Since everything is online, they do not have any clarification on the issue as of now."

Adding, another dealer said, "Not all Aadhaar card details have been updated online and thus, we are not able to compare the same and only after dealers, banks and government upload the Aadhaar card details, the subsidy will be transferred. This is a major reason for delay. Dealers need to be educated and even the government needs to create awareness on this."

How subsidy would be transferred

*Customer will make a request for the cylinder and pay `1,028 - the cost of non-subsidised cylinder
*Dealer will transfer `435 as advance in the account of consumer (one-time thing)
*Dealer will compare the Aadhaar card number provided by the consumer with the data available to them by the government
*Dealer after comparing will finalise the sale online
*Based on this online entry by dealer, the bank concerned will transfer subsidy to the particular account.

Reasons for confusion, delay in subsidy transfer

*Consumers unaware of one- time `435 advance
*Dealers don't have computer efficient staff, causing delay in uploading sales online
*Servers of companies like Indian Oil not functioning properly
*Not all Aadhar card details being uploaded by the government.