HC dismisses plea to withdraw linking Aadhaar with EB connection

CHENNAI: The first bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed public interest litigation filed for a direction to the state to withdraw its decision mandating people to link Aadhaar authentication with the electricity consumption consumer billing number.

Heading the bench along with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Acting Chief Justice T Raja dismissed the petition filed by ML Ravi, lawyer, and president, Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi.

The petitioner sought direction from the court to quash the government order dated October 6, for availing the subsidies, the consumers should link Aadhaar Authentication with the electricity consumption consumer billing number.

The bench dismissed the petition on the ground of questioning the maintainability of the plea.

The petitioner raised the main ground that if the GO was implemented, the house owner can only link his Aadhar number with the electricity consumption consumer billing number.

"Therefore, tenants who pay the electricity bill for their house will not get the subsidy and the owner only can benefit from the subsidy, " the petitioner added.

The government advocate countered that argument saying that the TNEB or the government cannot interfere in the disputes of the house owners and tenants regarding the subsidy.

The GO was passed only after obtaining proper permission from all the nodal agencies including the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Committee, the government added.

Recording the submissions, the bench dismissed the matter observing that the petition is not maintainable.