Plea for stay on Aadhaar notice

New Delhi: A fresh plea has been made seeking a stay of the notifications of various ministries of the Central government making Aadhaar card compulsory from July 1 for availing benefits of social security schemes, including midday meals.

A vacation bench will hear the plea from petitioners Shantha Sinha and others challenging the various notifications issued by the Centre insisting on Aadhaar card before June 30 for availing various benefits, including noon meal scheme, scholarships, admission, etc.

Ahead of the crucial hearing on June 27, the petitioners through advocate-on-record Vipin Nair, filed a rejoinder refuting the contentions made by the Centre that already 115.15 cr population had enrolled for Aadhaar and a futile attempt was being made to challenge the same.

They said the Centre has attempted to inflate the figue to argue an impossibility of exclusion as the figures amount to puffery. They pointed out that Aadhaar enrolment has been without adequate verification and in many instances the Centre itself has stated that the enrolment has been over 110 per cent of the recorded population in many states giving concerns as to fraud within the system; in states such as Delhi, enrolment stands in excess of 115 per cent.