Just few days after making the aadhaar card necessary for the midday meal, the government of Tuesday made it clear that no one will be deprived of the benefits for lacking the aadhaar card.
"The Government has reiterated that till Aadhaar number is assigned to any individual, the benefit will continue to be given based on alternate means of identification. It also directed the departments to provide Aadhaar enrolment facilities to their beneficiaries under Regulation 12 of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016," it said.
"In case of Mid-Day Meal scheme and under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the schools and Anganwadis have been asked to collect the Aadhaar number of the children beneficiaries and in case a child does not have Aadhaar, the school or ICDS functionary will be required to provide enrolment facilities to a child and till Aadhaar number is assigned, the benefits will be continue," it added.
On 28 February, the government had issued a Gazette notification which said that aadhaar card is necessary for availing the benefits of mid-day scheme.
"Any individual desirous of availing the benefit under the Scheme offered at the Schools, who does not possess an Aadhaar number or has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar shall have to apply for Aadhaar enrolment by June 30, 2017 provided he or she is entitled to obtain Aadhaar as per the provisions of Section 3 of the said Act," the notification said.
This move attracted a strong criticism from the opposition parties such as Congress, the Trinamool Congress, communist party etc.