Petition to delink LPG subsidy and Aadhaar

  Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday issued notices to the state government and the oil companies, seeking replies within a week to a petition challenging the decision to link domestic LPG connections with Aadhaar card.

The order was passed by the division bench of Chief Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Vilas V Afzalpurkar.
 Petitioner G Bala Goud had earlier wanted the court to direct the authorities not to impose the a deadline of February 15 for obtaining Aadhaar cards, and challenged the decision of the Centre to link the LPG subsidy with Aadhaar cards.
 Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Principal Secretary - Civil Supplies, Chairman and Managing Directors of Bharat petroleum, Hindustan petroleum and Indian Oil Corporation are named as respondents in the petition.
 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has already said that February 15 is not the deadline for obtaining Aadhaar in order to avail of LPG subsidy.
 He had requested the Centre to give another two months' time to implement the scheme in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and the Ranga Reddy district.
 Supply of LPG cylinders at the subsidised price would continue till Aadhaar enrolment was completed in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Anantapur, Chittoor and East Godavari districts, the state government has said.

PTI