RBI responds to RTI on Aadhaar-bank a/c linkage, says it is must under PMLA
In an RTI reply, the RBI had said it did not issue any notification regarding linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar.
Mumbai: While reports of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) not issuing any notification with regard to linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar went viral, the central bank on Saturday cleared the air saying the linkage is mandated under the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017.
Earlier on Friday, it was reported that in response to an RTI query filed by MoneyLife, the apex bank had said it "has not issued any instruction so far regarding mandatory liking of Aadhaar number with bank accounts."
Referring to media reports highlighting the central bank’s reply to the RTI, the RBI said in a press release that “in applicable cases, linkage of Aadhaar number to bank account is mandatory under the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017 published in the Official Gazette on June 1, 2017.”
It added that these rules have “statutory force” and banks have to implement them without awaiting further instructions.
The government, in a notification dated June 1, 2017, mandated the linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar by December 31, failing which accounts would be declared inoperable.
In its RTI query, MoneyLife had asked for a copy of the file along with file notings regarding mandatory linking of Aadhaar number with bank accounts.
The query also explicitly asked if the apex bank had taken permission from the Supreme Court for mandatory linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar. The RBI replied saying it has not filed any petition before the SC.