New Delhi, December 07(Wishav Warta): The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it will extend till March 31 next year the deadline fixed for mandatory linking of Aadhaar for availing various services and welfare schemes. A notification to this effect will be issued on Friday, the government told the top court.
Petitioners who have challenged the validity of Aadhaar on the ground that it violates right to privacy urged the top court for an early hearing to decide whether Aadhaar should be stayed.
CJI Dipak Misra told petitioners that a five-judge constitution bench may sit next week to decide their plea for interim stay on Aadhaar. Attorney general KK Venugopal said there cannot be a stay on Aadhaar as it has gone on for years. He said the Centre is ready to argue the matter.
The apex court on October 30 had said that a Constitution Bench would commence hearing on the clutch of petitions against Aadhaar scheme from the last week of November. Recently, a nine-judge constitution bench of the apex court had held that Right to Privacy was a Fundamental Right under the Constitution. Several petitioners challenging the validity of Aadhaar had claimed it violated privacy rights.
The Centre had on October 25 told the top court that the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar to receive benefits of government schemes has been extended till March 31, 2018 for those who do not have the 12-digit unique biometric identification number and were willing to enrol for it.
