Deadline to extend Aadhaar with mobile extended to March 31: Centre tells SC

The Centre has said that it is willing to postpone the linking of Aadhaar with mobile to March 31. While telling the Supreme Court that it was willing to extend Aadhaar linking with various welfare schemes and also bank accounts to March 31, the Centre sought an interim order on mobiles.

The Centre however made it clear that Aadhaar would continue to be mandatory to open bank accounts.

The submissions were made before a five judge Bench of the Supreme Court which is hearing a batch of petitions seeking to strike down Aadhaar questioning its constitutional validity. On Wednesday the Finance Ministry had issued an order stating that it had extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with bank accounts till March 31.

The decision to extend the linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones was suggested to the Centre by the Supreme Court. The Centre then agree to extend the last date to link mobile to March 31 from the existing February 6.

On Wednesday, the government had issued a Gazette notification amending rules under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002 (PMLA) by replacing the requirement of submitting "the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number by December 31, 2017" with a provision saying "submit the Aadhaar number, and Permanent Account Number or Form No. 60, by such date as may be notified by the Central Government".

OneIndia News