The Orissa High Court has directed the Odisha government to issue a fresh unambiguous instruction to all District Collectors reiterating that no beneficiary should be deprived of rations because of non-linkage of Aadhaar card with their bank account or seeding in the public distribution system (PDS) database.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice M. S. Raman took cognisance of a news report that said more than 2,000 beneficiaries in Rasulpur block in Odisha’s Jajpur district were deprived of benefits under the National Food Security Act on account of failure to link their Aadhaar card with bank accounts.
The report said PDS dealers stated that they stopped supplying rice to beneficiaries as per a government order that made it compulsory to seed the Aadhaar numbers with bank passbooks.
The Odisha government had earlier submitted before the HC that no one would be deprived of rations due to non-linkage of Aadhaar.
The government counsel referred to the order that says that even those not having Aadhaar would continue to receive the subsidised food grains “by furnishing other proofs such as Aadhaar enrolment ID or a copy of request made for Aadhaar enrolment or electoral photo identity card (EPIC) along with the ration card”.
“Clearly, the instructions have been misconstrued and as a result more than 2,000 beneficiaries in one block have been deprived of the rations,” the Division Bench observed.
A direction is issued to the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Secretary to issue a fresh unambiguous instruction to all the Collectors reiterating that no beneficiary shall be deprived of rations because of non-linkage of Aadhaar with the Bank Pass Book or seeding in the PDS database, the HC said in the order.
Besides, the HC directed that a team would be sent to Rasulpur Block for restoration of benefits to ensure that 2,000-odd beneficiaries, who were deprived of rations.
Earlier, the State had informed the HC that any person seeking food security can apply for a new ration card and the existing beneficiaries can update their cards through these 378 Ration Card Management Centres.
The Orissa HC fixed April 25 as the next date of hearing.
