New Delhi: Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, has said that voter ID numbers and biometric authentication will be used instead of Aadhaar to identify beneficiaries and process welfare payments under the proposed system.
The minister made the announcement while addressing the National Workshop on the People’s Plan Campaign 2026–27, organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi. He reiterated the proposal during a media interaction in Gangtok on November 3.
According to Singh, beneficiaries would be identified using their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers along with biometric verification. He argued that Aadhaar cards could be obtained easily and that the proposed arrangement would help prevent fraudulent beneficiary entries.
Voter ID and biometric verification proposed
Explaining the proposed change, Singh said Aadhaar would no longer remain the primary basis for beneficiary payments under the system being discussed.
He said the combination of biometric authentication and voter ID numbers would be used to establish the identity of beneficiaries before payments are processed.
However, the minister has not specified the individual welfare schemes that would come under the proposed arrangement. The implementation details, including the verification process and the timeline for the change, have also not been clearly outlined.
Questions over the scope of the announcement
The announcement has drawn attention because Aadhaar-linked bank accounts are currently used for direct benefit transfers under several Central government schemes.
These include programmes such as PM-KISAN, rural housing assistance and social security pensions. Aadhaar authentication is also required under certain schemes administered by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, which is also headed by Singh.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj itself does not operate a scheme in which funds are directly transferred to individual beneficiaries’ bank accounts, according to the report. This has raised questions about which specific payments the minister’s proposal would cover.
Announcement comes amid electoral roll revision debate
The minister’s remarks come amid continuing political debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and concerns raised by Opposition parties about the deletion of names from voter lists.
Since the proposed system would rely on voter ID numbers, questions have emerged about how people whose names are missing from electoral rolls would access welfare benefits.
The proposal therefore places additional importance on clear rules for beneficiary identification and safeguards to ensure that eligible people are not excluded from government assistance because of voter-list discrepancies.
Focus on strengthening panchayats
Singh made the announcement during discussions on strengthening Gram Panchayats and improving local development planning under the People’s Plan Campaign 2026–27.
He also called on panchayats to increase their own-source revenue to become eligible for performance-based grants. The discussions focused on making local governance institutions more financially capable and improving the delivery of development programmes.
The proposed shift from Aadhaar-based identification to voter ID and biometric verification will require further clarification from the government, particularly on the schemes covered, implementation arrangements and provisions for beneficiaries who do not have valid voter ID details.