AADHAAR RELATED ARTICLES: 5178 - No notification from oil ministry, gas agencies still insist on Aadhaar linkage

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

Thursday, February 27, 2014

5178 - No notification from oil ministry, gas agencies still insist on Aadhaar linkage - Indian Express

No notification from oil ministry, gas agencies still insist on Aadhaar linkage

Written by Nisha Nambiar | Pune | February 7, 2014 3:55 am

SUMMARY

January 31 was the last date for linking Aadhaar cards.

With no clear cut directives from the oil ministry, gas agencies continue to ask customers to link their Aadhaar cards to bank accounts for LPG subsidy. The Centre had recently increased the annual cylinder cap from nine to 12 and put a stay on compulsory linkage of Aadhaar cards to bank accounts.

January 31 was the last date for linking Aadhaar cards. However, the gas agencies have still not received any notification from the ministry. It is likely that there is another extension for linking the Aadhaar cards.

“We are unclear on this aspect even as the Central government has decided that the linkage will not be compulsory. We have not got any clear guidelines from the oil ministry. So, we have decided to extend the deadline till the month-end,” said an agency official.

“Unless there is a fresh notification during this period, we would have to ask customers to link their Aadhaar cards to the bank to avail of the subsidy or buy the cylinder at market rate,” he added.

With the cap increased to 12 on pro rata basis, till March-end citizens can get 11 subsidised cylinders for the financial year, and those whose cards are linked are getting the subsidy in their bank accounts.

The agencies are following the same guidelines on the linkage. Arihant Gas Agency in Pulgate area has continued to urge customers to link their Aadhaar cards to banks. “With no notification yet, the Central government’s directive could be considering states that have not initiated the process. Customers will get 11 cylinders till March-end, but if the order comes in to waive off the linkage completely, we need a proper guideline on the same,’’ said Bharat Jain of the agency.

Only 22 per cent Puneites have linked their Aadhaar cards with bank accounts for LPG subsidy and if the order does not come, agencies fear there will be a lot of confusion.

The oil companies have clarified that citizens who have availed of nine cylinders so far can get two more subsidised cylinders till March. “Since we are unsure about the subsidy transfer, we did not give any directives on the same,’’ said an official.

Some agencies had even linked the booking system to Aadhaar. “When we call the gas agency booking number, we get a message urging us to link Aadhaar number. When we press the customer ID number for booking, it is not accepted,” said Sushma Jain, a resident of NIBM area.

Citizens are also made to wait for cylinders. “With confusion on the number of subsidised cylinders, there is a delay in delivery. We booked a cylinder almost 15 days ago, but we are yet to get it,’’ said Kannan Shah, another resident.

Even as agencies maintain that whether the government makes it compulsory or not, Aadhaar details already given will be maintained for verification. These can be checked to ensure there is no duplication of connections and subsidy transfer. Currently, a subsidised cylinder is priced at Rs 451, while the non-subsidised one costs Rs 1,182.