SC allows Mamata govt's plea to amend petition on Aadhaar

SC had on October 30 pulled up the West Bengal govt for how a state could challenge Parliament's mandate on Aadhaar

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a plea by the West Bengal government which had sought to amend its petition challenging the Centre's move to make Aadhaar mandatory for receiving benefits of various social welfare schemes.

A bench comprising justice A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan asked the state to file its amended petition and said that the matter would come up for hearing after two weeks.

The apex court had on October 30 pulled up the West Bengal government while asking it as to how a state could challenge Parliament's mandate and question the move to make the Aadhaar mandatory for receiving benefits of social welfare schemes.

Under the federal structure, an individual can file such a plea but not a state government, it had observed.

The state had told the court that the plea was filed by its labour department as subsidies under the welfare schemes concerned have to be given by it.

However, the state government later told the court that it would amend the plea.