English
New Delhi, October 19: Nobody can be denied ration under Public Distribution System (PDS) even if their ration cards are not linked to Aadhaar card, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Thursday said as it called for stringent action against culprits after an 11-year-old girl Santoshi Kumari died of starvation in Simdega district of Jharkhand. The authority said the family of the victim had an Aadhaar number allotted to them since 2013.
UIDAI Chief Executive Officer Ajay Bhushan Pandey emphasised the Aadhaar Act is clear in its mandate that nobody will be denied access to benefits of welfare schemes due to lack of Aadhar. Pandey was quoted by The Times of India as saying, “Section 7 specifies that till Aadhaar number is prescribed, the benefits should be given through alternate means of identification.”
He added, “The Jharkhand government has ordered a probe in the matter to find out the facts behind the unfortunate incident. I expect that person responsible for denial of benefits – inspite of Aadhaar card – will be held accountable and necessary action will be taken against such people by the state, so that it acts as a deterrent for future.”
Earlier, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said a central team will be sent to Jharkhand to investigate the death. The state government has also been asked to submit a detailed report. He said, “If poor people die of hunger, it is a matter of concern. We will be sending a central team probe the matter.”
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government has ordered a fresh probe into the matter and also announced Rs 50,000 as assistance to the girl’s family.
(With inputs from agencies)
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