The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Monday said that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled. UIDAI has issued a statement after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that Aadhaar cards of people from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the state have been deactivated.
The confirmation comes after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, termed the alleged move as a gross violation of natural justice.
Aadhaar, as the most commonly used digital identity, is used to avail numerous subsidies, benefits and services, UIDAI said on its website.
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It added that to maintain the accuracy of the Aadhaar database, the authorities update an exercise for update of documents and Aadhaar information.
"In the course of activities undertaken to keep the Aadhaar database updated, intimations are issued from time to time to Aadhaar number holders. In this connection, it is clarified that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled," UIDAI said.
In case any Aadhaar number holder has any grievance, they can submit their feedback to UIDAI, it said, promising that the grievance will be duly addressed.
"In case any Aadhaar number holder has any grievance in this regard, they may submit their feedback to UIDAI at this link https://uidai.gov.in/en/contact-support/feedback.html. Any such grievance will be duly addressed," it said.
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Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the BJP-led central government "deactivated" Aadhaar cards of people in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to stop them from availing the benefits of various social welfare schemes.
Banerjee said her government will continue with the state-run welfare programmes irrespective of the beneficiaries not having an Aadhaar card.
"Be careful, they (BJP-led Centre) are deactivating Aadhaar cards. Several Aadhaar cards have been made inactive in many districts of Bengal. They are doing this so that people do not get benefits from schemes like 'Lakshmi Bhandar' through bank transfer and free ration before the polls.
"My clear instruction to the chief secretary is to ensure that people are not deprived of the benefits even if they do not have active Aadhaar cards. People of Bengal need not be worried. I am there for you," she said.
She alleged that Aadhaar cards of 50 people at Jamalpur in Purba Bardhaman district and several others in Birbhum, North and South 24 Parganas as well as in North Bengal have been "delinked".
