(LiveMint)
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked various government departments, state governments and ministries to ensure that no essential service or benefit, such as medical treatment, school admission or ration through Public Distribution Service (PDS), be denied to a genuine beneficiary for the want of Aadhaar.
The move comes at a time when several cases have been reported where the beneficiary has either died due to starvation as the Aadhaar-enabled point-of-sale machine at the local ration shop failed to authenticate his/her biometrics or medical treatment has been denied due to lack of Aadhaar.
“The government is sensitive to the fact that no emergency services such as hospitalisation, etc., be denied for the want of any document whatsoever including Aadhaar,” the UIDAI said in a statement on Saturday. Aadhaar enables people to establish their identity so that they receive their entitlements and exercise their rights without any fear of being excluded, it added.
