The Meghalaya government has only a certain amount of wiggle room in the requirement for beneficiaries of public schemes to link their Aadhaar number in order to continue to receive benefits.
Community and Rural Development Minister Abu Taher Mondal today said that almost all central schemes now require Aadhaar linkage. This includes the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), where funds are now released only through an Aadhaar-based payment system, and the subsidised food distribution network.
He explained that even if one person in a village of 100 job card holders has not linked their Aadhaar, the whole village will not receive MGNREGA payments.
As a temporary solution, the state government has directed Block Development Officers (BDOs) to look into helping people with Aadhaar linking.
Recently, in a case revolving around scholarships, the Meghalaya High Court stated that Aadhaar should not be the only document for identification to get government benefits. The court directed authorities to also accept other documents such as PAN card, voter ID, or passport, especially from those who do not have Aadhaar or do not wish to get it.
The court’s order ensures that people who cannot or do not want to get Aadhaar can still prove their identity using other valid documents.
Mondal clarified that the Meghalaya government has not made Aadhaar linking compulsory for state-run schemes. However, for central schemes, it is a rule set by the central government.
When asked if Meghalaya can be given an exemption, he said the state was allowed some exemption in the past, but now the rules must be followed as instructed by the Centre.
