The Orissa High Court has ordered the Odisha government to issue a new unambiguous instruction to all District Collectors, stating that no beneficiary should be denied rations due to Aadhaar cards not being linked to their bank accounts or not being seeded in the public distribution system (PDS) database.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice M. S. Raman took cognizance of a news report claiming that more than 2,000 beneficiaries in Odisha’s Jajpur district had their National Food Security Act benefits revoked due to their failure to link their Aadhaar cards to bank accounts.
According to the article, PDS merchants indicated that they stopped supplying rice to beneficiaries as a result of a government directive mandating that Aadhaar numbers be seeded with a bank passbook. The Odisha government had previously said before the High Court that no one would be denied food as a result of Aadhaar’s non-linkage.
The government’s lawyer cited the decision, which states that individuals who do not have Aadhaar can still get subsidized food grains “by providing additional documents such as Aadhaar enrolment ID or a copy of the request for Aadhaar enrolment or electoral picture identity card (EPIC) along with the ration card.”
“Clearly, the orders were misinterpreted, resulting in the denial of rations to almost 2,000 recipients in one block,” the Division Bench concluded.
High Court directed to give a new unequivocal instruction to all Collectors
The HC directed the Secretary of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department to give a new unequivocal instruction to all Collectors, underlining that no beneficiary will be denied rations due to non-linkage of Aadhaar with the Bank Pass Book or seeding in the PDS database.
In addition, the HC ordered that a team be dispatched to Rasulpur Block to restore benefits and guarantee that 2,000 or more recipients were not denied food. The State had previously notified the HC that anyone seeking food security can apply for a new ration card, and current recipients can update their cards at the 378 Ration Card Management Centres. The next hearing date has been set by the Orissa High Court for April 25.