Govt bid to save Rs 3500 cr Aadhaar Centre pleads in SC ahead of polls to undo court order making flagship UID optional. With just three-odd months to go for the general elections, the UPA government is desperate to get its flagship Aadhaar scheme designed to reach benefits to the eligible back on track. The Supreme Court had ruled that an Aadhaar card is not mandatory for all citizens to have. The Centre on Wednesday pleaded with the court that it was essential for “good governance, transparent implementation of government programmes” and to ensure that benefits reach only those who qualify to get them. In its plea the government also said that Rs 3,494 crore has already been spent to enroll 53 crore Indians by the Unique Identification Authority of India, the nodal agency which issues the cards, and it had to ensure that the money isn’t wasted. The bench is hearing PILs filed by a retired Karnataka High Court judge K Puttaswamy and social activist Aruna Roy against making the cards mandatory for accessing government schemes and subsidies. They also argued that the manner in which information is extracted violates and transgresses individual rights of citizens including privacy.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 07:25:41 +0000
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