HC orders notice to TN in plea against linking EB with Aadhaar

CHENNAI: The first bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the direction to the state government to file its response within a week on the petition filed for quashing the October 6th Government Order (GO) to link Aadhaar authentication with the electricity consumption consumer billing number.

The bench passed the direction on hearing a petition filed by ML Ravi, advocate and president for Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi (DMSK).

When the matter was taken up, the petitioner’s advocate argued that as the house owner only can link his Aadhaar number with the electricity consumption consumer billing number, tenants who pay the electricity bill for their house will not get the subsidy and the owner only can be benefited with the subsidy. He further added that the decision was taken without the nod of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission.

However, the government informed the HC, the EB department cannot enter into a dispute between the house owners and tenants in getting the subsidy. The GO was passed only after obtaining proper permission from all the nodal agencies.

“It was stated that if the Aadhaar was not linked with the electricity service connection, the consumers could not even make the electricity bill payment. The TANGEDCO website and other government platforms did not reveal anything about the alternate documents for the Aadhaar for obtaining the benefits. It is noted that no Act or Rule was framed in this regard, ” the petitioner submitted.