The Supreme Court on Thursday assured the Centre and bodies like the SEBI and RBI that it will take a decision by Friday evening on their plea seeking for the modification of an order restricting the voluntary use of Aadhaar card to PDS and LPG schemes only.
Please give me time till tomorrow (Friday) evening. Let me decide. The question is I have to spare nine judges for this. What will happen to other matters.
— HL Dattu, Chief Justice of India
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi’s plea for urgent hearing of the application for modification of the earlier order was supported by a battery of senior lawyers, including KK Venugopal and Harish Salve.
All social benefit schemes of the government are being affected. We seek the modification that Aadhaar be allowed to be used voluntarily for the benefit of the poor and aged groups.
— Mukul Rohatgi, Attorney General
The apex court had yesterday refused to modify its interim order and allow bodies like RBI and SEBI and some states to permit voluntary use of Aadhaar card for welfare schemes other than the public distribution system (PDS) and LPG schemes.
The court had made it clear that all applications seeking “modification, clarification and relaxation” of its August 11 interim order will be heard by a Constitution Bench.
On August 11, the apex court had decided to keep Aadhaar card optional for availing welfare schemes of the government and said authorities will not use it for the purposes other than PDS and LPG distribution system.
The Centre, RBI, SEBI, IRDA, TRAI, Pension Fund Regulatory Authority and states like Gujarat and Jharkhand had recently moved the court and pitched strongly for voluntary use of Aadhaar cards for providing benefits of various schemes, other than PDS and LPG, at the doorstep of the aged people and the weaker sections.
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