Shillong, March 29: A group of citizens under the banner of Meghalaya People's Committee on Aadhaar (MPCA) today asked the state government not to pursue with the project to enrol citizens under Aadhaar.

Supported by the Samaritan for Social Transformation, the MPCA held a public awareness meeting on the recently passed Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016.

MPCA co-convener Rev. Kyrsoi Pyrtuh said the meeting resolved that the bill could not be accepted as it was costly, dependent on untested and unproven technology and sought to encroach on the right to privacy through sharing of information under Section 57. It also felt that allowing anyone residing in India for not less than 182 days to enrol for Aadhaar would give room for imminent internal insecurity.

Pyrtuh said they urged the state government not to pursue the task of enrolment of citizens under Aadhaar in keeping with the Supreme Court's interim order that Aadhaar was "voluntary" and not "mandatory". He said government boards, corporations, banks and others should not make having Aadhaar number mandatory.

The meeting also urged the three autonomous district councils in the state - Khasi, Garo and Jaintia - to take up the matter as implementing Aadhaar enrolment would be in conflict with the provisions of the Sixth Schedule.

Meghalaya fares poorly in the Aadhaar enrolment ranking of states and Union territories. Till February 29, says the website of Unique Identification Authority of India, Meghalaya ranked 35.