Aadhar card row: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 p.m.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 p.m. following uproar over Aadhar card being made compulsory for availing the benefits of government schemes.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had earlier given a notice in the Upper House seeking discussion on the issue.

Recently, the government had linked several benefit schemes, including the pension, to Aadhar.

Earlier, the government had set an ambitious target of bringing all subsidies and welfare schemes under the Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) by March 31, 2017.

The DBT programme was launched on January 1, 2013, with regard to 24 selected schemes of eight ministries.

As per reports, the scope of DBT has been expanded to include cash transfer to individual beneficiaries through Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labha or Pahal, transfer of LPG subsidy to individual consumers, wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and National Social Assistance Programme.