Election Commission considers linking Aadhaar with Voter ID

The Asian Age With Agency Inputs

Business, Economy

The linking of Aadhaar with Voter ID cards will be required for 'various electoral services', said P P Chaudhary.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering linking the unique identification number to voter ID cards.

Mumbai: The 12-digit Aadhaar number, that is becoming integral to our daily life, may soon be linked to our voter identification cards.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering linking the unique identification number to Elector's Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), popularly known as voter identification cards. According to a report in Moneycontrol, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology P P Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, that the linking will be beneficial for “various electoral services”.

Chaudhary said the move will implemented be "at an appropriate time".

The Election Commission had earlier moved the Supreme Court, asking for permission to obtain Aadhaar details of voters to link it to their database.

The apex body had directed that: “The unique identification number or the Aadhaar card will not be used by the respondents for any purpose other than the PDS scheme and in particular for the purpose of distribution of foodgrains, etc. and cooking fuel such as kerosene”.

However, in recent times, Aadhaar has been made compulsory for various services like PAN, filing of income tax returns, availing government subsidies, etc.

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