Aadhaar is a well- intentioned scheme to plug leakages in welfare schemes, but the concerns associated with it are legitimate and cannot be ignored (“Aadhaar-PAN linkage meant to plug tax leaks, says SC”, April 27). Recent instances in several parts of the country point to how leakages have taken place (for instance, with M.S. Dhoni) and show the need to usher in measures that will ensure that Aadhaar data remain secure and free from hacking. The unbridled enthusiasm with which the BJP government at the Centre is promoting Aadhaar without lending its ears to genuine apprehensions raised from several quarters lends credence to the criticism of it trying to create a surveillance state. While regulating access to welfare schemes through Aadhaar, the government cannot afford to ignore the link between Aadhaar leaks and the emergence of possible frauds in welfare schemes.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
The procedure for linking Aadhaar with PAN online has several glitches at the moment. First, there is a mismatch between names. The sequence of the first, second, and third names in PAN may be in a specific order and that in Aadhaar in another. Aadhaar may contain the initials instead of the expanded names. Sometimes, a message pops up asking for the valid 12-digit Aadhaar number even after it is entered. In all such cases, it would be impossible to link PAN with Aadhaar. The income tax department has to resolve such issues before declaring any deadline. Instead of maintaining separate identification documents such as Aadhaar, PAN and a voters ID, having just one unique ID is the ideal solution. This will help deter duplication and manage data better.
P.G. Mathew,
Kochi
