Aadhaar to be a must for issuing income certificates

New Indian Express

a day ago

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has approved a proposal of the Delhi government to make Aadhaar mandatory for issuing income certificates, which essentially determine an individual's eligibility for availing financial benefits under government schemes in the city.
The move aims at eliminating any irregularity in issuing income certificates.
The L-G approved the proposal for notifying the service of 'issuance of income certificate' under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016. This provision allows the state government to make Aadhaar-based authentication mandatory to establish identity for receiving any subsidy, benefit, or service for which expenditure is incurred from the Consolidated Fund of India or the Consolidated Fund of the State.
The proposal, endorsed by CM Rekha Gupta, stated that income certificates issued by the Revenue Department of the Delhi government are used to determine beneficiary eligibility for various schemes and subsidies — such as reimbursement of tuition fees for SC/ST/OBC students, pensions, and financial assistance under the Delhi Arogya Kosh. Hence, Aadhaar should be made mandatory for this purpose. The Revenue Department stated that using Aadhaar as an identity document for delivering services, benefits, or subsidies simplifies the service delivery process, brings transparency and efficiency, and enables beneficiaries to receive their entitlements directly in a seamless and convenient manner.
UIDAI, through a circular issued in 2019, had authorised state governments to mandate Aadhaar authentication for beneficiaries under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act in schemes funded from the Consolidated Fund of the State.
According to the notification, individuals not possessing an Aadhaar number but wishing to avail benefits under the listed schemes will now be required to apply for Aadhaar enrolment. In the case of minors without Aadhaar, they must produce either an Aadhaar Enrolment Identification Slip or Biometric Update Identification Slip, along with a Birth Certificate or School Identity Card containing the names of their parents, duly signed by the school Principal.
Other beneficiaries (excluding children) who do not have Aadhaar must submit their Aadhaar Enrolment Identification Slip along with one of the following documents: a Bank or Post Office Passbook, PAN Card, Passport, Kisan Photo Passbook, or Driving License.