12/03/2016
Aadhaar Bill passed; will help in better subsidy targeting: govt
New Delhi, March 11:
In its earlier avatar, Aadhaar
merely assigned a unique identity to residents. On Friday, that changed
with the Lok Sabha passing a new Bill, arming the Narendra Modi regime
with statutory backing for targeted delivery of subsidies and services.
The
Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits
and Services) Bill, 2016 was passed by a voice vote after Speaker
Sumitra Mahajan turned down Opposition demands to send the money Bill to
a Standing Committee on Finance.
In his reply to
the short debate on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley noted that thousands of crores of rupees would be saved by
routing government subsidies through the Aadhaar system.
Jaitley also allayed fears of any privacy breaches stating that the proposed legal framework specifically covered this aspect.
“This
(law) will empower States to distribute resources to deserving people
and save the resources that undeserving people get,” he said, adding
that both the Centre and State governments would save thousands of
crores.
LPG success
Outlining the success
achieved on the targeting of LPG subsidies through Aadhaar cards,
Jaitley said over ₹15,000 crore had been saved by the Centre. Four
States that had started a PDS delivery pilot on the same lines had saved
more than ₹2,300 crore, he added.
With the Bill now
passed by the Lok Sabha, all eyes are now on the Rajya Sabha. Till late
Thursday evening it was not certain whether the Upper House would debate
the money Bill, as it had already allotted the remaining working days
(the session breaks on March 17) to other important work such as passing
the Union Budget.
A money Bill does not need Rajya
Sabha approval. But the Upper House, where the NDA lacks a majority, can
make recommendations within two weeks of receiving it. But these are
not binding.
The Business Advisory Committee of the
Rajya Sabha, which met on Friday, decided to allot three hours for the
Aadhaar Bill next week. Commenting on the differences between the
earlier Bill, tabled by the UPA, and the latest one, Jaitley said the
earlier one provided for establishment of an Authority and gave the idea
of a unique identity but failed to define its purpose.
Also,
the new Bill would enable the Centre and the States utilise money from
the Consolidated Fund of India for better targeting of benefits at
deserving beneficiaries.
Jaitley also said that 97 per cent of adults and 67 per cent of minors have Aadhaar cards.
(This article was published on March 11, 2016)