Criticising the Central government for its “anti-poor” policy by making Aadhaar cards mandatory for receiving LPG cylinders at a subsidised rate, several members of the Communist Party of India (CPI) staged a protest here on Friday demanding that the Supreme Court verdict that makes Aadhaar optional be followed.
The decision to link LPG subsidies with Aadhaar came as a shock to most protestors there.
Chitrakshi, an activist, fears that she will lose out on subsidies as she doesn’t possess the card. “My family lives in a rented house, with little proof of permanent address. It was only after many visits to corporation offices that we received our voters’ ID card. We still don’t have a ration card. And by the time we do all this and are eligible for Aadhaar cards, we will lose our subsidy. My family cannot afford this,” she said.
Though Parvathi, a beedie worker who was among the protesters, has an Aadhaar card, she remains sceptical of the scheme.