We shifted focus of Aadhaar Bill: Arun Jaitley

Finance minister Arun Jaitley, moving the Aadhaar Bill for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha earlier, said targeted subsidy through Aadhaar cards of LPG consumers had resulted in savings of over Rs 15,000 crores at the Centre. Four states which started PDS delivery by a similar exercise on a pilot basis saved over Rs 2,300 crores.

The bill provides for statutory backing to Aadhaar scheme for transferring government subsidies and benefits. Citing differences between the earlier bill tabled by the UPA and the new one, the finance minister said the earlier measure provided for establishment of an authority and gave idea of unique identity but failed to define its purpose.

“Learning from that experience, we improved upon the idea and the focus of the bill is shifted,” he said. On the Opposition’s suggestions about the definition of national security, he said it was for the courts to define what falls under national security. He said that till a few months ago, he himself was a beneficiary of LPG subsidy, which he should not be entitled to. So the bill will help weed out undeserving beneficiaries from the government subsidy scheme. “The purpose of the bill is not for collateral purpose but to ensure that the benefit of public revenue reach the targeted beneficiary,” he added.

Mr Jaitley even said the Aadhaar Bill will be sent to the RS, to which Congress Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge countered that being a money bill, it will merely be returned to the Lower House and no voting would be allowed on it in the Upper House.

Opposition members, including the Left and BJD, sought to know what was the hurry to get the bill passed since a discussion on the Union Budget had already started in the Lower House on March 10. The combined view was that since several significant clauses had been upgraded in the bill, it should be first sent to a standing committee before being brought for discussion in the LS.