By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 28: The Meghalaya State Chapter of the Awaken India Movement (AIM) and a group of concerned citizens held an awareness campaign on Tuesday near the U Kiang Nangbah statue to highlight the difficulties residents face in accessing essential services due to Aadhaar-related issues.
The organisation alleged that many individuals, particularly from economically weaker sections, are being denied benefits such as LPG refills, subsidised rations, healthcare, educational admissions, and scholarships because they lack Aadhaar or have discrepancies in their documentation.
AIM Meghalaya Chairman Banshai Marbaniang stated that the campaign was a response to grievances raised by citizens across the state. He claimed that the poor are frequently excluded from basic entitlements when their Aadhaar cards are either unavailable or not accepted by authorities.
Marbaniang added that the organisation plans to submit a memorandum to the President of India seeking intervention.
He also referenced past representations made to the High Court of Meghalaya, reiterating that Aadhaar is legally voluntary and should not be made mandatory for accessing essential services.
The group urged government departments to adopt more inclusive mechanisms to ensure that documentation hurdles do not prevent citizens from accessing welfare schemes.
