Why link Aadhaar with gas subsidy?

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Friday opposed the move to link subsidy for cooking gas cylinders to Aadhaar card and said it would cause hardships to the poor, especially women. Citing reports that subsidy for cooking gas cylinders would be cancelled if the Aadhaar  details are not provided in their bank account before September, Stalin said the news was shocking.  Already, the consumers are buying cylinders at market prices and after that only the subsidy is being credited to their bank accounts. Suddenly changing the procedure and insisting on Aadhaar card details for providing subsidy is condemnable, he said.

The announcement that subsidy would be stopped for those who did not give Aadhaar card details was arbitrary, he said. The Centre permitting the gas companies to increase the prices of petrol and diesel and allowing them to stop the subsidies for cooking gas would cause misery to the people. The Supreme Court had already said that awareness should be created on the necessity of Aadhaar cards through newspapers, electronic media, radio and television, he pointed out. The SC had also directed the Centre not to make Aadhaar card compulsory for getting benefits from the government.

The announcement of oil companies to make Aadhaar card mandatory for getting cooking gas subsidy is against the Supreme Court verdict and against the people's welfare, the DMK treasurer said. There is also a suspicion that the move is an effort to reduce the number of consumers getting cooking gas subsidy, he said and urged the Centre to instruct the oil companies to continue crediting the subsidy in the consumers’ bank accounts as usual. In a democratic country people should not be subjected to harassment for getting the benefits of government’s welfare schemes, he added.