SC to resume hearing on plea challenging decision on make Aadhaar mandatory for IT returns, PAN today

The Supreme Court to resume hearing on a plea challenging the government’s decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for filing of income-tax returns as well as for obtaining and retaining the permanent account number (PAN) on Thursday.

Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court on Friday pulled up Centre saying that how could he made Aadhaar Card as mandatory when the Apex court had already passed an order to make it optional.

The Supreme Court questioned the Centre for making Aadhaar mandatory for procuring Permanent Account Number (PAN) card.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Justice A K Sikri that they have found that people were giving details of PAN cards which have been procured on the basis of fake documents.

Rohatgi said that government has found that the Pan Cards are being used to divert funds to shell companies and to prevent it, the Centre has the only option is to make Aadhar card mandatory.

To this, the bench asked the Attorney General, "Is this the remedy that you need to have Aadhaar for having PAN? Why has it been made mandatory?"

Responding to this, Rohatgi said that earlier too they have found people procuring SIM cards for mobile phones on fake identity cards and the apex court had asked the government to have a check on it. The bench said it would hear arguments on the plea challenging the government's move making Aadhaar mandatory for PAN cards on April 25.

Last month, the Centre had made providing one’s Aadhaar number a compulsory detail for filing IT returns and for obtaining and retaining the permanent account number (PAN).

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the move was aimed to link PAN cards with Aadhaar and to identify those who avoided taxes by having duplicate PANs.

Also read: SC questions Centre for making Aadhaar mandatory, says how could govt do this when court passed order terming it optional