Supreme Court order on Aadhaar a positive step forward: FM Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the Supreme Court order on Aadhaar is a positive step forward and will encourage voluntary use of the identification number.

The apex court had yesterday permitted citizens to voluntarily use Aadhaar card for availing benefits under schemes like MGNREGA, Prime Minister's JanDhan Yojana and all types of pension schemes and PF.

"Supreme Court order permitting voluntary use of Aadhaar is a positive step forward," Jaitley said in a tweet.

Aadhaar, an unique identification number, is used by the government to transfer subsidy directly to the bank account of beneficiaries. The use of Aadhaar helps in checking pilferage.

The Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan too had welcomed the ruling on use of Aadhaar yesterday, saying that it will help in financial inclusion drive and provide easy access to loans.

"The Supreme Court ruling on Aadhaar card will be quite helpful, making us use it in banking services. It will make easier for financial inclusion," Rajan had said.