It's confirmed! Modi govt extends Aadhaar-PAN linking deadline to March 31

The government today extended the deadline of Aadhaar linking with PAN card till March 31, 2018. In a press statement, the CBDT said: "It has come to notice that some of the taxpayers have not yet completed the linking of PAN with Aadhaar. Therefore, to facilitate the process of linking, it has been decided to further extend the time for linking of Aadhaar with PAN till 31.03.2018."

This is not the first time the government extended the linking deadline. The date for linking of Aadhaar with PAN was initially extended till 31st August, 2017 which was further extended upto 31st December, 2017. All taxpayers having Aadhaar Number or Enrolment Number are required to link the same with PAN under the provisions of recently introduced section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 which was effective from 01.07.2017.

The government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it was willing to extend the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar for availing of various 131 services and welfare schemes to March 31 next year. Centre had earlier set December 31 as the last date to link Aadhaar, except the Aadhaar-Mobile SIM linking, which is February 6 next year.

The Supreme Court will be setting up a five-judge Constitution Bench next week to hear pleas on making Aadhaar card mandatory for various social and welfare schemes. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was informed by Attorney General K K Venugopal that the Centre was willing to extend the deadline of December 31 to March 31 next year.

However, Venugopal said that February 6 next year would remain the deadline for linking Aadhaar for availing of uninterrupted mobile services as it had been mandated by the apex court. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for those who are opposed to the Aadhaar scheme told the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, that the Centre should give an undertaking that no coercive steps would be taken against those who fail to link their Aadhaar with various services.