New Delhi: The Central Government is reportedly preparing a new framework to make the Voter ID card, also known as the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), the primary document for verifying beneficiaries under upcoming welfare schemes associated with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, replacing Aadhaar as the principal means of identification.
Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lallan Singh, announced the proposed change on Tuesday. According to the Minister, Aadhaar would no longer serve as the primary means of identifying beneficiaries for certain government welfare schemes and facilitating the transfer of financial assistance. Instead, beneficiaries would be required to provide their Voter ID numbers and undergo biometric authentication to establish their eligibility.
The Union Minister shared this information while speaking to journalists at an event organized by the Sikkim Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited.
Explaining the proposed verification system, Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that although Aadhaar is currently widely used for beneficiary identification, authentication, and the disbursement of government assistance, the new framework would place greater emphasis on Voter ID numbers and biometric verification.
Under the proposed system, beneficiaries would be required to submit their EPIC numbers and complete biometric authentication before receiving financial assistance or other benefits under the relevant government schemes.
The Minister indicated that the revised verification process would help establish beneficiaries’ identities more accurately, improve transparency, and strengthen the administration of welfare programmes.
The proposed system is also expected to streamline beneficiary verification and facilitate the direct transfer of financial assistance from central and state governments to eligible recipients.
Highlighting the importance of administrative reforms and technological advancements, the Union Minister emphasized that integrating modern technology into beneficiary identification could significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of welfare delivery systems.
He stated that biometric authentication could be completed in approximately five minutes, making the verification process faster and more convenient for beneficiaries. He also noted that the necessary technology was becoming increasingly accessible across the country, including in rural and remote areas.
According to Singh, combining Voter ID numbers with biometric authentication could help identify duplicate beneficiary records, reduce fraudulent claims, and prevent the misuse of public funds.
The Minister suggested that strengthening identity verification mechanisms would make it more difficult for individuals to obtain government assistance using false identities or duplicate registrations.
The proposed changes are intended to improve accountability in the distribution of welfare benefits and ensure that financial assistance reaches genuine and eligible beneficiaries.
The proposed verification framework reflects the government’s stated emphasis on improving transparency, strengthening digital authentication systems, and ensuring the efficient delivery of welfare assistance.
By introducing additional identity verification measures, the government aims to reduce administrative irregularities, improve the accuracy of beneficiary databases, and minimize the risk of fraudulent payments.
However, the precise implementation timeline, the schemes covered by the proposed framework, and the detailed procedures for biometric verification have yet to be clarified.
Further official guidelines would be needed to determine how the proposed system would operate and whether alternative verification arrangements would be available to beneficiaries who do not possess Voter ID cards.
