Don’t deny welfare benefits to those without Aadhaar: Centre

The directive comes in the wake of the death of an 11-year-old Jharkhand girl of alleged starvation after being denied ration through PDS.

The Union Government has directed all states not to deny welfare benefits to those below the poverty line who do not have an Aadhaar card.

The Ministry of Law and Justice, along with other ministries concerned have written to all state chief secretaries to ensure that the poor are not denied benefits of central government schemes, including foodgrains distributed through the PDS, according to a cabinet minister. “But they have also been instructed that efforts should be on to see that everyone should have an Aadhaar and the schemes should be linked to it. However, we cannot deny the poor the benefits of the programmes for them,” the ministry said. “Those who are eligible under the PDS can avail the benefits showing their ration card or other identity proofs,” it said.

The directive comes in the wake of the death of an 11-year-old Jharkhand girl of alleged starvation after being denied ration through PDS.