SC questions Centre for making Aadhaar mandatory for filing ITR

New Delhi, April 21 : The Centre’s move to link Aadhaar number with Permanent Account Number (PAN) for filing income tax returns from the assessment year 2017-18 came in for judicial scrutiny on Friday with the Supreme questioning the decision.“Why has it been made mandatory?” a Bench headed by Justice AK Sikri asked Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi during hearing of a PIL questioning the legality of Section 139AA in the Income Tax Act that talks about linking Aadhaar number with PAN. There was an order to keep it optional, it pointed out.Defending the government’s decision, Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi said people were furnishing PAN cards procured on the basis of fake documents. He said many of them held multiple PAN cards and used them to divert funds to shell companies.“Is making Aadhaar by force the only way to tackle fraud?” the Bench asked.A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is already seized of petitions challenging the validity of Aadhaar on the ground of violation of Right to Privacy.The court had in August 2015 said Aadhaar number would not be mandatory for availing benefits of government’s welfare schemes.