(LiveMint)
The government on Wednesday extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar to avail of various services, subsidies and benefits under section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, by three months to 30 June. The earlier deadline was 31 March. Subsidies for cooking gas and kerosene, and even scholarships are transferred to citizens from the Consolidated Fund of India under section 7 of the Aadhaar Act.
The extension comes at a time when a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the constitutionality of Aadhaar. On Tuesday, Chief Justice Dipak Misra refused to give an extension beyond 31 March on the issue of mandatory Aadhaar linking for welfare and subsidies. On Tuesday, the deadline for PAN-Aadhaar linking was extended to 30 June by the Central Board of Direct Taxes. The earlier deadline was 31 March. According to an order issued by the policymaking body of the tax department on Tuesday, the deadline for PAN-Aadhaar linking for filing income-tax (I-T) returns is being extended after “consideration of the matter”.
