Aadhaar numbers not to be linked with electoral rolls

The Delhi Chief Electoral Office has suspended the linking of UIDAI (Aadhaar) number of voters in the capital with the electoral list.

Recently, the Supreme Court of India had suspended the linking of Aadhaar number of voters with the electoral rolls — a move that was part of the Election Commission of India’s National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP).

After the apex court’s order, the Commission had asked Chief Electoral Officers across the country to immediately suspend the collection and feeding of Aadhaar numbers in the electoral rolls.

The court had said that Aadhaar number will not be used for any other purposes except PDS, kerosene and LPG distribution system.

On Monday, Delhi’s Chief Electoral Office said in a statement that in the light of the SC’s interim order dated August 11, 2015, the Election Commission of India has issued detailed instructions that all further activities relating to collecting, feeding and seeding of Aadhaar number being undertaken under the NERPAP be suspended.

The electoral office said that no election authority or official connected with the NERPAP will collect or seed collected Aadhaar data. The office, however, said that all other activities of NERPAP related to purification of electoral rolls, except collection or feeding of Aadhaar number will continue and be carried out during the period of continuous updation and special summary revision of electoral rolls for 2016.

A statement from the electoral office said that all the 11 District Election Officers, District Magistrates, Electoral Registration Officers and Booth Level Officers of Delhi have been instructed to comply with the orders. Political parties, too, have been informed, the statement added.