Team Herald
MARGAO: With March 31 declared the last day to link one’s Permanent Account Number (PAN) with their Aadhaar card, hundreds of citizens were seen rushing to banks and server centres to complete the task before the deadline.
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In Salcete taluka, citizens were seen standing in long queues all morning, Several senior citizens have complained that they are in a confused state of mind and alleged that the entire exercise is harassment to the general public.
As per the circular of the Income Tax Department, PAN cards not linked with Aadhaar will be invalid by March 31.
In Margao, citizens were seen braving the heat and the crowds, and many had to return disappointed as they were unable to obtain tokens given by service providers due to the rush. “First and foremost, the concerned authorities should have been aware of the issue and local bodies could have taken an initiative in this regard. Many people and mostly senior citizens are unaware about the reasons to link the Aadhar card with PAN,” said Salvador Pereira, a resident of Varca. Rohan Desai, another citizen, said that the government should have taken initiative to help the people by starting service centres at the panchayat or municipality level for the convenience of senior citizens, most of whom are retired.
