Aadhaar must for visiting prisoners in Telangana jails

If you were unhappy with Aadhaar or the unique identification card becoming compulsory for every thing from ration card to passport and voter card to gas connection, here is something more to chew about.Telangana Government has decided to make Aadhaar card a must for those wishing to visit a prisoner in the jail. 

The Prison department authorities have said only those having Aadhaar card would be allowed to meet the jail inmates. “The step has been taken due to the security reasons,” a senior officer of the department said on Tuesday. From the next week family members of the prisoners coming to meet them will have to bring the Aadhaar card with them. “It will help in verifying the antecedents of the people coming to meet the prisoners and establish the nature of relationship,” said the officials.

The officials were specially concerned about the people coming to meet the high security prisoners and the accused involved in terror related cases. “We will have to ensure those coming to meet such prisoners were genuine relatives or not,” the official added.The new system was being introduced in view of the reports that those coming to meet prisoners were trying to smuggle cell phones and drugs into the prisons. 

Officials were of the view that verification on the basis of the photo identity cards and their data base would help in ensuring that no undesirable elements meet the prisoners and pose a security threat.Of the 2.65 crore adults in Telangana 1.91 crore have been issued the Aadhaar card so far.Earlier the State Governments had made Aadhaar card compulsory for availing the benefits under any welfare program but the Supreme Court had struck it down and asked the Governments not to link the welfare schemes to the card.