Social activists Mathew Thomas and V.K. Somashekar alleged here on Friday that the Congress-led UPA government cheated the State by diverting funds for implementation of the Aadhaar scheme, which had failed to give any ‘identity’ to citizens.
They claimed that Aadhaar cards issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India with the financial support from the UPA government would not prevent siphoning off subsidy amount allocated for welfare schemes.
Mr. Thomas questioned the need for a number to prove identity of an individual when a number of state-approved identity cards such as the EPIC, driving licences and ration cards were already available.
On the demand to produce Aadhaar numbers to transfer LPG subsidy for bank accounts, Mr. Thomas said the government had been treating citizens as “potential criminals.” However, the practice has been discontinued with. Aadhaar would not stop the people from diverting the LPG cylinders for commercial purposes, he alleged.
The Congress candidate from the Bangalore South constituency Nandan Nilekani, former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, had wasted public money on a scheme which was not benefiting the people, Mr. Somashekar said.
