New Delhi: In order to ease issues of pensioners and widows, the AAP government has decided to delink the compulsory Aadhar linking to access the benefits.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and said: “Lot of people suffering due to inability of banks to link adhar with bank account. Today, Cabinet decided to delink adhar from widow n age old pension.”
Lot of people suffering due to inability of banks to link adhar wid bank account. Today, Cabinet decided to delink adhar from widow n age old pension
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 31, 2018
The Apex court had questioned the mandatory Aadhar linking for drawing pensions by the retired government employees, Times Now reported.
The Apex Court had then observed that pension was an entitlement and not government’s subsidy that the employees need to submit Aadhar to receive it since the pension is nothing but their hard work and years of service they have rendered to the government.
“Pension is an entitlement and not a benefit under social schemes. How is it included under section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016?” Justice AK Sikri had asked.
“Many pensioners live with children settled abroad. Can such category of pensioners be told that would not be granted pension unless they have aadhaar card?”
Justice D Y Chandrachud who was a bench member also went on to cite the example of his late father and former Chief Justice of India Y V Chandrachud.
He said only he would operate the pension account — so there was no question of anyone else operating it.
“There are those old persons whose biometrics do not match with the Aadhaar data. Where do they go?” Justice Chandrachud said. “Government must explain steps being taken to eliminate financial exclusion of legitimate beneficiaries.”