No end to confusion over Aadhaar
Prakash Samaga, TNN Nov 10, 2013, 04.36AM IST
UDUPI: LPG consumers and dealers are an angry lot. Added to the delay in issual of Aadhaar cards, the recent Supreme Court ruling that Aadhaar should not be linked to domestic gas subsidy has only angered them more with no clarity coming from the district administration on the issue.
Though the district administration in Udupi had announced that all the LPG consumers must link their Aadhaar numbers to their bank account and with their LPG dealer to avail the subsidy money, the pace of implementing the Aadhaar-linked subsidy scheme for LPG has not picked up in Udupi following the Supreme Court's recent ruling that the unique number cannot be made mandatory for any welfare schemes.
However, with no clarity on the issue, the LPG dealers and the consumers are in confusion as they are not sure of what to be followed, either to go ahead by linking their Aadhar numbers or adhere to the Supreme Court's order
Deputy commissioner M T Reju says as the Supreme Court has maintained that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for availing social welfare benefits, the district administration cannot make it mandatory. He added that LPG dealers cannot ask consumers to provide Aadhaar card anymore.
The direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme was introduced in Udupi district on October 1 and the administration had given three months grace period.
An LPG dealer, who refused to be identified, says that his petroleum company insists that all their consumers link their Aadhaar numbers to their bank account if they want the subsidy remitted. Says he: ''I have 10,000 LPG consumers and around 1,000 of them have linked their Aadhaar numbers. The rest have not done so citing the apex court's order. So I have not been forcing them to link their Aadhaar numbers for LPG subsidy,'' putting the onus on the district administration for further clarification on the issue.
K Subba Rao, lead district chief manager, Udupi, told STOI that there are 1,74,500 LPG connections in the district and 17,000 of them have linked their Aadhar numbers to both bank account and with their LPG dealers for availing LPG subsidy. ''Banks in the district are not forcing their customers to link their Aadhaar numbers to their bank account, however we have been accepting from those who voluntarily came forward,'' he explained. He added that consumers who link their Aadhaar numbers need to ensure that the bank account they give for availing subsidy is operative.