Aadhaar-must rule may spell trouble in Hills

TOI, Jun 17, 2017, KOLKATA: Centre's decision to make Aadhaar mandatory in banks before December 31 is likely to make life more miserable for the people in the Hills. With only 82% saturation -one of the lowest among the districts in the state --the Hills residents will be denied of several government benefits if it's implemented. 

The latest data released by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) shows that when West Bengal has an Aadhaar saturation of 92.34%, Darjeeling has a saturation of only 82%. 

Approximately 3,18,491 Hills people are yet to do their Aadhaar enrolment till date. 

"It's obvious that most of these people belong to the marginalized section. Naturally they will be denied of the central and state benefits, most of which come through banks," a government official said. North Bengal development minister Goutam Deb said, "The Centre should first ensure that all people have their bank accounts. Then they can think of linking it to Aadhaar."