Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday expressed hope that Centre would take up the matter of Aadhaar card with the Supreme Court, keeping in view the inherent benefits that the card can offer in availing Government welfare and other services to the poor and vulnerable.
In a media briefing, Dikshit said that the Supreme Court has not restricted any Government agency from enrolling citizens under the Aadhaar scheme, but has only ordered that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory to access Government services or subsidies. Delhi is one of the first States in the country to adopt the Aadhaar platform for direct cash transfer of benefits. Dikshit stated that Delhi has achieved almost 100 per cent of its target with respect to enrolment of citizens under the scheme. The city’s total population is 1.67 crore as per the 2011 census, the total enrolment has now touched 1.71 crore. The Government has commissioned large number of Aadhaar enrolment centres across the city to facilitate citizens in getting them enrolled without any hassle.
Dikshit also emphasised that availing benefit of Government welfare schemes through Aadhaar has been ensuring accuracy, transparency apart from minimising corruption, fraud, role of middlemen and duplication.