Amidst the furore over alleged cancellation of Aadhaar cards in districts, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today announced that the state would issue alternative Aadhaar cards to those, who have far found their cards deactivated.

The CM also said that she had already written to the Prime Minister seeking details on the alleged flip-flop over deactivation of a large number Aadhaar cards. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the chief minister wrote: “I wish to bring to your kind notice about a sudden development of serious nature of indiscriminate de-activation of Aadhaar cards of the people, especially belonging to SCs, STs and OBC communities in West Bengal.”

“It is learnt that Head Office of UIDAI in New Delhi, without any field enquiry or hearing the persons and taking the state government into confidence, had been directly issuing letters to Individuals and family members informing them about the deactivation of their Aadhaar cards under provisions of the Regulation of 28A of Aadhaar (Enrolment and update) Regulations 2016.

It is surprising that such a process of the deactivation of Aadhaar cards without any prior intimation and also without giving any opportunity of being heard to the card holders is in gross violation of the Regulation 29(1) of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016 and also in gross violation of natural justice. In this context I have received a number of representations including those from the Tapasili Federation.

The present development has created chaos and hue and cry among the residents of the state, as a large number of people are approaching the district administration for redressal of their grievances. Every citizen in the state is in a state of fear on this matter”. Announcing this at a press conference at Nabanna today the chief minister said, “The Centre either should first stop this irregularity or the state would take steps by opening a grievance portal to safeguard the interests of the poor people from getting deprived of the facilities disbursed through the link of Aadhaar cards.

People, who have so far found their cards get deactivated can file their complaints to this portal, which in turn will inform me, who the losers are and on the basis of which the state will issue an alternative cards to them.” She further said that the highest number of cards deactivated are from the Matua community in the state and those were done at will. “We won’t allow NRC nor will allow any detention camps here at any cost. The Centre had sent so many committees for Sandeshkhali but did it send any committee for Chopra so far,” she asked.

On the proposed alternative Aadhaar cards, Miss Banerjee said, “It is now mandatory for every citizen to link bank accounts with Aadhaar numbers in order to get pecuniary facilities. We will unlikely disburse the money through bank accounts but we can hold camps to disburse the money and that would be video recorded. No poor will be deprived of the facilities entailed in the Aadhaar. This is West Bengal and not Delhi. Here elections are not won by using force. Meanwhile, UIDAI in a clarification said that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled.