PAN-Aadhaar linking with penalty: Beneficiaries omitted from govt schemes!

Sullia: Low-income individuals who linked their PAN (Permanent Account Number) with Aadhaar at the last moment by paying a penalty are now facing difficulties. They have now been classified as income tax (IT) payers and have been removed from the beneficiary list of certain government schemes.

Reportedly, when PAN was linked with Aadhaar after the deadline, a fine of Rs 1,000 was paid to the Income Tax Department, which has now added them to the taxpayer list. This includes even those who hold BPL (Below Poverty Line) cards. These individuals fear being deprived of various government benefits.

Exclusion from Gruha Lakshmi Scheme

Women who are now categorized as income taxpayers are no longer receiving the funds under the state government’s Gruha Lakshmi Scheme. Additionally, those who submitted IT returns to avail of loans for house construction have also been excluded from the beneficiary list of Gruha Lakshmi.

Applications Being Accepted

The officials have begun accepting applications from those who were left out of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme due to such reasons. Authorities are working on getting confirmation from the relevant agencies that these individuals are not actually IT/GST payers, as per reports from the department.

Situation in Dakshina Kannada

In Dakshina Kannada district’s Sullia taluk, 337 IT payers and 226 GST payers have been recorded under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme. In Beltangady, 716 IT payers and 613 GST payers have been identified. Similarly, in Kadaba, there are 457 IT payers and 180 GST payers; Mangaluru has 1,470 IT payers and 976 GST payers. Other areas include Moodbidri (228 IT, 75 GST), Mulki (180 IT, 93 GST), Puttur (586 IT, 436 GST), and Ullal (571 IT, 347 GST). Altogether, 8,503 applicants have been rejected in the district.

More than 150 people from Sullia taluk have submitted applications and other documents to the department, claiming that they are not IT/GST payers, as confirmed by officials.

Situation in Udupi District

In Udupi district, 4,610 BPL cardholders have been identified as income tax payers, leading to the stoppage of Gruha Lakshmi funds for some. Of these, 452 income tax payers have provided written confirmation that they are not directly involved in income tax payments. This certification has been submitted to the central office.

Officials have clarified that taxpayers are automatically excluded from the benefits. Since the PAN-Aadhaar linking and income tax payments were integrated into the Gruha Lakshmi software from the outset, the benefits will not be available to those who pay income tax.

“Several individuals connected to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme have not received funds because they are categorized as income tax payers. However, upon review, it was found that some are not actually paying taxes. Those who linked their Aadhaar with PAN by paying the fine were also added to the taxpayer list. This is not correct. The issue has been brought to the government’s attention, and a solution is expected soon,” said Bharat Mundodi, District President, Guarantee Implementation Committee, Dakshina Kannada.

• Translated version of Kannada article by Dayananda Kalnar