Aadhaar numbers may be printed on cheques soon

Aadhaar numbers could soon figure on cheque leaves as the government gears up to track transactions better.The finance ministry is talking to government-owned banks, such as State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda, to find ways to align transactions with Aadhaar numbers.

Cheque leaves typically feature the customer’s name and account number; they could additionally have an identity number, sources said.While the government prepares for this change, banks could ask customers



to write their Aadhaar numbers on their cheque leaves.

This will come in handy for the government to monitor those carrying out high-value transactions but not paying tax, a source said.“For the government, it is one of the ways to bring more people into the tax net,” an official explained.

The government is also trying to align more than 500 welfare schemes with its direct benefit transfer or DBT programme. Aadhaar numbers on cheques could help especially in rural areas.