People can avail state govt schemes even if Aadhaar gets cancelled: CM

Kolkata: Alleging that it is a conspiracy to push for implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Sunday, accused the BJP government at the Centre of invalidating Aadhaar cards in Bengal in an effort to deprive the people of the benefits of the state government’s welfare schemes. “I have heard that they (BJP) are invalidating Aadhaar cards across Bengal. They have done it for 50 people at Jamalpur and in districts like North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Birbhum and in North Bengal too. Who gave you the right to do this without taking the consent of the concerned person? Ahead of elections, they are doing this to stop the people of Bengal from availing our welfare schemes,” she said while addressing a

distribution programme at Suri in Birbhum on Sunday.

She appealed to the people to ensure enlistment of their names for voter cards and asked Chief Secretary B P Gopalika to start an online portal where people can lodge their complaints if their Aadhaar cards get cancelled. She assured that the

government will decide and take action in such cases.

She promised: “I will not allow any scheme in Bengal to be linked with the Aadhaar card. You will avail all our schemes without the card.” Banerjee added: “If the banks press for Aadhar card, we will deliver benefits without bank services. Moreover, we have co-operative banks. Hence, reaching out to people with government welfare schemes will continue.” “They are planning to do NRC-CAA again. Get yourself registered in the voter lists. I will ask the officials to ensure this,” she added. Banerjee also was vocal about the BJP pushing for Uniform Civil Code (UCC). “They are playing with CAA and UCC. Marriages of different communities have different rules and rituals,” she reiterated.