TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Union Government Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) asking them to take appropriate action in connection with the issuance of Aadhaar Cards on the basis of ration cards, which could be bogus.
The Pilerne Citizens Forum had written to the Union Home Minister S S Shinde on May 21, 2013 in connection with the issue of ration card being allowed as a document to prove one’s residence, identity and relationship to the head of the family despite a clear circular from the director of civil supplies that the administrative wings of the government should not insist on production of ration cards for identification.
“In order to stop misuse of family ration cards as identity, it has been decided by the government that the administrative wings in the government should not insist on production of ration cards for identification purpose,” the circular issued in 2002 by the then director of civil supplies N B Narvekar reads.
The circular was issued “considering that there are a very large number of bogus ration cards circulating in the state due to lacunae there existed in the procedure.”
This was in direct conflict with the UIDAI requesting that the ration card could be used, among other documents, for the above mentioned purposes.
The PCF had made a case that with the high number of bogus ration cards circulating in the state, this would lead to false information being recorded on Aadhaar cards and thereby making ineligible persons eligible for government schemes.
The letter written by the D Srikanth Assistant Director of the Office of the Registrar General, Ministry of Home Affairs addressed to S K Sinha Deputy Director attaches the PCF letter with a comment that it is self explanatory and that the UIDAI should take appropriate action.
Speaking on the issue, Yatish Naik, advisor to the Pilerne Citizens Forum has said that the very fact that the Home Ministry has written to the UIDAI with a comment that our letter is self explanatory and that appropriate action should be taken means they subscribe to their contentions.
“We are now awaiting action from the UIDAI in this matter,” Naik said.
