PIL to link properties with Aadhaar: Delhi HC seeks responses of newly impleaded ministries

New Delhi [India], April 17 : The Delhi High Court on Monday sought responses from several ministries of the Central Government, newly impleaded as respondents in a public interest litigation (PIL) praying to link Aadhaar with property documents.

The Bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Yashwant Varma on Monday asked the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Law in the matter.

While granting more time to the Delhi government and the Home Ministry to clear their stand on a plea, Justice Satish Chander Sharma observed that the issues raised in the plea are for good cause.

Earlier the court while issuing notice to the respondents also asked the petitioner to amend the petition and add more concerned ministries to the matter.

Advocate Msh Mohan appeared along with Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma in the matter for the Centre Government.

The petitioner Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a BJP Leader sought direction from Centre Government and Delhi Government to take appropriate steps to link movable and immovable property documents of citizens with their Aadhaar number to curb corruption, black money generation and benami transaction.

If Government link property with Aadhaar, it will lead to an increment of 2 per cent annual growth. It will clean our electoral process, which is dominated by black money and benami transaction and thrives on a cycle of large black investments, the capture of power through foul means, use of political strength to amass private wealth, all with disdain for the citizen, stated the plea.

India has numerous legislations but fails miserably in implementing them. The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, passed in 1988 was gathering dust without any action. Though the present government added more teeth to it by amending it (Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amended Act, 2016), activities to catch benami properties are still going on slowly, stated the plea.

Therefore, it is the duty of the State to take apposite steps to curb corruption and seize the benami properties made by illegal means to give a strong message that Government is determined to fight against corruption and black money generation. Executive action should be taken to warn the corrupt that betrayal of the public trust will no longer be tolerated and to reaffirm the rule of law and transparency, plea read.

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