In view of the resistance from different sections of the society against Aadhaar linking, the finance ministry on Wednesday extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with bank accounts till March 31, 2018.
The deadline was earlier December 31 for linking the 12-digit unique identification number with both Permanent Account Number (PAN) and bank accounts. However, the government extended the deadline last week for linking it with PAN till March 31.
A new rule modifying the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002 has been notified to replace the requirement of submitting "the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number by December 31, 2017" with "submit the Aadhaar number, and Permanent Account Number or Form No. 60, by such date as may be notified by the Central Government".
The government later issued a press release which contained the deadline of March 31.
The new notification is in line with the Centre last week informing the Supreme Court that it is willing to extend till March 31, the deadline fixed for mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail various services and welfare schemes.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday informed that a five-judge constitution bench on Thursday would hear the pleas seeking an interim stay on the Centre's decision on mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various government schemes and welfare measures.
The bench will sit at 2 pm on Thursday to take up the interlocutory applications seeking interim relief against the Centre's decision on linking of Aadhaar with various schemes, a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud said.
On November 27, the apex court had said it may consider setting up a constitution bench to hear pleas challenging the Centre's move to make Aadhaar card mandatory for availing various services and benefits of welfare schemes.
It had on October 30 said a constitution bench would commence hearing on the clutch of petitions against the Aadhaar scheme from the last week of November.
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.
The Attorney General had told the court that no coercive action would be taken against those who do not have the Aadhaar card but are willing to enrol for. He had said such people would not be denied the benefits of social welfare schemes till March 31.
