Ensure Supply Of PDS Items Without Aadhaar Linkage, HC Directs Odisha Govt

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the Odisha government to ensure that PDS beneficiaries are not deprived of their rations because of non-linkage of Aadhaar cards with the PDS database.

A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice MS Raman issued the notice after taking cognisance of a news report.

The report stated that more than 2,000 beneficiaries in Rasulpur block of Jajpur district were deprived of their rations under the National Food Security Act as their Aadhaar cards were not linked with bank accounts. The PDS dealers did not provide rice to the beneficiaries on the basis of a government order that made it compulsory to link the Aadhaar numbers with bank passbooks, it added.

During the hearing of the case, the government counsel said even those not having Aadhaar would continue to receive the food grains under PDS. They can avail the benefits by producing other proofs such as Aadhaar enrolment ID or a copy of request made for Aadhaar enrolment or electoral photo identity card (EPIC) along with the ration card, The Hindu quoted the counsel as stating.

But the Bench expressed its dissatisfaction with the counsel’s statement and said, “Clearly, the instructions have been misconstrued and as a result more than 2,000 beneficiaries in one block have been deprived of the rations.”

It directed secretary, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department to issue a fresh unambiguous instruction to all district collectors that no beneficiary will be deprived of rations because of non-linkage of Aadhaar with the bank account or seeding in the PDS database.

The Bench also directed that a team would be sent to Rasulpur block for restoration of benefits to the beneficiaries and set next date of hearing on April 25.

It may be noted that while hearing a case on foodgrains to non-ration card holders in view of COVID pandemic in April last year, the High Court had expressed dissatisfaction over the state government’s claim that it has already covered 80% of  population under the targeted public distribution system (PDS).

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray had said it was not sufficient to state that the government has already covered 80% of the population under the PDS. There cannot be any persons belonging to vulnerable categories in Odisha who are left out of either the NFSA or the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS). A constant endeavour must be made to increase the coverage with every passing month.