In a major step to prevent tax fraud and misuse of Aadhaar details, the Uttar Pradesh government has made biometric-based Aadhaar authentication mandatory for Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration across the state. This move aims to curb cases where individuals fraudulently obtained GST registrations using someone else’s Aadhaar credentials.
To facilitate this, GST Suvidha Kendras (Facilitation Centers) have been set up and made operational in every district of the state from April 14 onwards. These centers are now responsible for carrying out the biometric Aadhaar authentication and document verification of GST applicants. Registration will only be granted once the applicant personally visits the center with all required documents and successfully completes the biometric process.
This system, previously a part of VAT registration procedures, was discontinued after the implementation of GST in June 2017. The absence of biometric checks had led to a surge in fraudulent registrations and tax evasion using stolen Aadhaar identities.
According to State Tax Commissioner Nitin Bansal, the new system will significantly tighten GST registration processes and help eliminate fraudulent entries. He further informed that the Central Government has also set up 25 GST Suvidha Kendra kiosks in key districts under the CGST Lucknow Zone—namely Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Agra, Prayagraj, and Gorakhpur—as well as Hapur and Bulandshahr in the Meerut Zone.
Tax officials believe that making biometric authentication compulsory at the registration stage will greatly reduce the scope of GST-related fraud and ensure only genuine applicants are granted registration.
