Hyderabad: 'Delete Aadhaar column from registration manual on Dharani'

Hyderabad: The High Court directed the Telangana State government to delete all the references of Aadhaar card numbers in the entire manuals, whether it be registrations, PTIN (Property Tax Identification Number) or for any other manual dealing with the registration of non-agricultural properties.

Further, the court clarified that till these manuals were modified and the new ones were made, people should not be allotted any slot numbers.

The High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy on Thursday heard a batch of eight Public Interest Litigations opposing the data collection for Dharani portal. The High Court directed the State government that in the user manual and in software, the column of Aadhaar card must be deleted immediately.

Aggrieved over the State government's attitude, the Chief Justice bench pointed out that the government was cleverly behaving by introducing Aadhaar column in the slot bookings application form. Earlier, the State government had made it clear to the court that it would not ask for Aadhaar details in the application forms for registrations. The court questioned as to what made the government to retain the Aadhaar column in the slot booking form.

The court stated that the registering authority will not insist on revealing Aadhaar details even while registering the non-agricultural lands. In case of identification of persons to be established, the registering authority might insist upon any other official identification, but not Aadhaar, clarified the court.

The court also directed the Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad to file a copy of revised manual issued by the government to clearly prove the fact that all references to Aadhaar were deleted from the user manual and from the software.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad sought a week's time to upgrade the software. The High Court directed the State that till next hearing, the registration of non-agricultural properties must be continued without seeking Aadhaar details from buyers, sellers and their family members and from witnesses.

Moreover, the government should not insist on caste and social category from the registration parties, the court said, adjourning the matter to December 28.