NEW DELHI: The opposition on Monday attacked the government over making Aadhaar mandatory saying it has lead to exclusion in society and people are being devoid of their entitlement under rural employment guarantee scheme, pension and ration under public distribution system.
Speaking during short duration discussion, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said government is making Aadhaar “compulsorily mandatory voluntarily” as they say that it is not mandatory but also added that benefits of social schemes will only be given if the benefactor has enrolled for Aadhaar.
“Aadhaar is not becoming an instrument of identity but it is actually becoming an instrument of exclusion. It is leading to significant exclusion in PDS, in Mahatama Gandhi NREGA and in Old-Age Pension scheme,” he said while citing examples of people being affected by it.
The former union minister said because of the pressure of targets that 100 percent seeding must be met, what is happening is that workers are being denied their wages on time.
“It is a target-oriented approach, 100 percent seeding in every programme. What sterilisation was to the Emergency, Aadhaar seeding is becoming to your Government,” he said.
Trinamool leader Derek O’Brien said that it is an issue of mental torture of the poorest of the poor and it breaches upon privacy of people and invades federal structure.
Emphasising that data can be misued, Brien said: “The world’s largest data base is the US social security number. They are asking you just the number. Here, face, hands, everything is open. Even the world’s biggest system won’t share this biometrics. And, who has this data? Some of them fly- by-night companies”.
Many other members raised privacy issues and why government wants to link all services to Aadhar.
Replying on the discussion, Minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said that if anyone does an unauthorized use, the law clearly provides that he can be prosecuted and convicted for three years.
“Aadhaar is linked with the Jan Dhan to provide direct subsidy to the account, direct benefit transfer. We have saved Rs.50,000 crores on this front,” said Prasad while Ramesh said that the figure are misleading.