This village won't let you enter without Aadhaar
Aadhaar was launched with an aim to check fraud. A Telangana village has come up with a unique way to achieve this goal. Pothangal Kalan in Gandhari Mandal, Kamareddy, needs visitors to deposit their Aadhaar or any other ID while entering the village. The rule applies to everyone, from beggars to businessmen and even government officers. But is it helpful? Importantly, is it legal?
How did this creative yet strange rule come about?
The Pothangal Kalan panchayat levied this rule five years ago. The decision came after some of the residents were cheated by strangers. Once, a 'godman' came and duped them by offering to double their gold. Now all non-residents have to submit their ID to the sarpanch. If they don't, "we won't allow them to go around. It's applicable even to relatives," a resident said.
Is it helpful? Is it legal?
Police have hailed the initiative, but there've been a couple of instances of deception despite the rule. Two months ago, an 'auditor' ran off with Rs. 40,000 after promising to get their PAN cards made. Moroever, while the panchayat can ask for ID, it isn't authorized to insist on people depositing the document, police said. But things are running smoothly for now, they said.
