The Delhi High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar on Wednesday (August 1) said that there was no legal provision by which the Aam Admi Party government can ask for Aadhaar card, bank passbooks etc. for providing benefits of the maternity scheme to pregnant and lactating women in the national capital.

The court said that most of the women are housewives and don’t have bank accounts. Under such conditions the government cannot insist that those eligible for the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme produce such documents.

The court made it clear that the scheme does not require such documents to be presented, hence the Delhi government cannot insist on it.

The court said that the JSY scheme is subject to maximum publicity and to ensure that it will be used by women without being subjected to documentation.

The court directive came on a plea filed through advocate Srija Pal Nair who had challenged the decision of the Delhi government insisting on documents like Aadhaar to provide cashless facility under the JSY.

—India Legal Bureau