The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the concerned ministries to file their responses to a plea demanding linking of movable and immovable property documents with Aadhaar number.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Yashwant Varma was hearing a plea filed by BJP leader and practising lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed in the year 2019.
The bench sought responses from the Union Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Law.
During the hearing, the court noted that the registry has pointed out some defects in Upadhyay's application and then directed him to correct those.
The bench also asked the government authorities to file their responses.
Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma said that the case brings out an important issue.
It is the petitioner's case that linking movable-immovable properties with the owner's Aadhaar number would curb corruption, black money and benami transactions.
In light of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the government is duty bound to take apposite steps to curb corruption and black money and seize benami properties, Upadhyay said.
"Black money holders would be forced to declare their unaudited movable and unmovable properties and it will take years to generate that amount of benami property again. Thus, in a long way it will help in putting an end to the black money generation."
Talking about annual growth, Upadhyay has claimed that if the government made it mandatory to link property documents with Aadhaar, it would lead to an increment of two per cent.
"(Linking Aadhaar with property documents) will clean our electoral process, which is dominated by black money and benami transaction and thrives on a cycle of large black investments, capture of power through foul means, use of political strength to amass private wealth, all with disdain," the plea added.
The bench listed the matter for the next hearing on July 18, 2023.