New Delhi: Explaining the reason behind linking of Aadhaar cards, CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said Aadhaar is a compulsion to stop duplicate PAN cards.
“There is a need for a central identity to evade issue of duplicate PAN cards,” said Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO UIDAI.
This comes after the CBDT extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking to June 30, 2018.
The Supreme Court had ordered for the extension in the deadline till the five-judge constitution bench delivers its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of the biometric scheme and the enabling law. This is a fourth extension given by the government.
Further stating the importance of Aadhaar, Pandey said, “The government has made Aadhaar mandatory to eliminate presence of black money.”
According to claims by the government, the authorities have been able to unearth Rs 33,000 crore, which was earlier not taxed, through the "voluntary seeding" of Aadhaar with PAN cards.
The Centre also submitted that linking Aadhaar number with PAN would prevent income tax evasion, circulation and use of black money, besides the practice will also eliminate duplication of PAN numbers.
In response, the five member bench, headed by CJI Dipak Misra, on 12 April, had said, "There is no doubt that money laundering is a problem. The only question that needs to be answered is how Aadhaar will prevent money laundering."
UIDAI had on Tuesday also argued that linking of PAN card with Aadhaar does not amount to a violation of fundamental right to privacy.
“Many committees were formed in the past 15 years to curb black money,” said Pandey, reinstating the fool-proof plan of Aadhaar.
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