The Central Government has made Aadhaar Card mandatory for Post Office Deposits, National Savings, Public Provident Fund, and Kisan Vikas Patra. The subscribers are required to update their unique 12-digit identification numbers by December 31, 2017.
The Ministry of Finance has issued 4 separate Gazette notifications. These mention that the biometric Aadhaar identification has been made mandatory for those who wish to open accounts relating to post office deposits, PPF, National Savings Certificate scheme, and Kisan Vikas Patra deposits.
The government notice insists on quoting Aadhaar number for bank deposits, obtaining mobile phones, and several other utilities. This step has been taken to alleviate the black money and benami deals issues.
Earlier, the deadline to procure Aadhaar cards was September 30, which has been recently pushed to December 31. This will facilitate the cardholders to avail government schemes and subsidies conveniently.
These subsidies are concerned with 135 schemes from 35 ministries namely- free LPG to poor women, kerosene and fertilizer subsidy, targeted public distribution system, and MGNREGA.
Furthermore, the extension also applies to Employees’ Pension Scheme of 1995, scholarships, the stipend to handicapped, housing subsidy benefit, the stipend to SC/ST trainees, education programs, skill development schemes, crop insurance, etc.
Talking about the Supreme Court’s verdict on Aadhaar, it will be hearing a bunch of petitions challenging various aspects in November. The court has already ordered the government that it can use Aadhaar cards of the public only for income tax return filing and welfare schemes. However, making it mandatory for extending the benefit of schemes would hamper people’s privacy.
