Aadhaar for welfare schemes: Naidu hits out at detractors

Backing the incumbent NDA government's Aadhaar Card policy for welfare schemes, especially for students, the Union I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said that it has a holy intention. He also called "Niradhaar", who are opposing the government's move.

"Prime Minister aims to serve poor extensively," Naidu claimed while addressing an event at Sashtri Bhawan here. He also called the move towards "transparency" as the government is trying to make Aadhaar as the sole identity card in the future a move that could possibly replace PAN, voter and ration cards.

"The government is trying to be connected with all through a proper identification system," he further added.

During the Parliament session also, the opposition parties raised the issue in both Houses. According to the opposition party leaders, even today a huge section of population doesn't have Aadhaar card. So they would not be able to avail the facilities.

Amongst the recent announcement, Aadhaar card is compulsory for women in the BPL category applying for a free LPG connection and the Ministry of Human Resource Development's announced that the mid-day meal would no longer be free for those children without an Aadhaar card by June 30, if they were to get a free meal, are most objectionable to opposition party leaders.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress (TMC) has always been opposing center's Adhaar policy. According to TMC supremo till now, around 6.12 crore of West Bengal's 8.22 crore eligible people have been enrolled under Aadhar. Two districts – Bankura and Purulia – lag far behind the national average of 65% in terms of biometric enrolment, with just 30% and 50% each.