The Centre has approached the Supreme Court to seek relaxation in making Aadhaar card mandatory for its social welfare scheme on distribution of subsidised lPG cylinders.
Mentioning the matter before the Bench presided by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran informed the Court that the matter was urgent and required early hearing. The Bench posted the matter for hearing on Tuesday before the same bench which had passed the order on September 23.
The Court while hearing a PIl had directed that no scheme or policy of the Government will make Aadhaar mandatory. Finding problem with this order, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which wished to be heard in the case, said that it was gravely prejudiced as the Direct Benefit Transfer for lPG (DBTl) consumers who required lPG cylinders at subsidized rates was available on production of Aadhaar cards.
“So far, over one crore subsidy transfer transactions have been done to over 4.5 million lPG consumers amounting to Rs. 471.39 crores,” the application of the Centre said seeking modification of the Court order. Approximately 76 per cent lPG consumers have submitted their Aadhar numbers to the lPG distributors and 60 per cent have given it both to lPG distributors and banks, the Centre informed.
With the Court order, serious doubts had been created in the minds of beneficiaries and to avoid it, the application was moved. The Centre clarified that Aadhaar would not be required for consumers purchasing lPG cylinders from market.