Benefits can't be denied for want of Aadhaar: UIDAI

NEW DELHI: With cases of denial of hospital facilities being reported, UIDAI has reiterated that the Aadhaar Act clearly states that benefits cannot be denied due to absence of an Aaadhar number or failure of biometrics due to reasons such as old age or poor connectivity.
In a statement, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) asked government departments/ministries and state/UT governments to ensure that no essential service or benefit is denied to a genuine beneficiary for the want of Aadhaar.

The statement comes amid a case in Gurgaon, where a woman was forced to deliver her child outside the emergency ward of the civil hospital after she was denied admission since she and her family members had forgotten to bring their Aadhaar card.

Later a doctor and a nurse were suspended for denying admission to the woman.

"UIDAI has taken a serious note of some of the cases reported in media recently in which it is claimed that the want of Aadhaar has resulted in the denial of essential services like hospitalisation or medical help by some lower level staffs causing grave inconvenience to people. While real facts behind such claims of denial are being investigated by the concerned agencies and strict action will be taken in case denial has occurred", the statement by Aadhaar read.

UIDAI explained that in its circular issued on 24th Oct, 2017, there are detailed guidelines issued for exception handling mechanism for extending benefits to beneficiaries who do not possess Aadhaar or in cases where Aadhaar authentication is not successful due to any reason.

UIDAI said it is again writing a letter to the chief secretaries of all states/UTs to ensure that Section 7 of Aadhaar Act, 2016 is implemented. The section has clear provision for no exclusion and no denials.