Welfare payments will be based on voter IDs, not Aadhaar, says Panchayati Raj minister

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh. File | Photo credit: ANI

Voter ID cards along with biometric authentication will be the basis for identification of beneficiaries and processing of payments for social schemes under the Panchayati Raj Ministry, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh reiterated on Tuesday (November 3, 2026).

Also read | Concerns over use of Aadhaar in welfare systems | Explained

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an event at the Sikkim Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited in Gangtok. He made the remark earlier on Friday during a day-long workshop organized by his ministry on ‘People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) 2026-27’ in Delhi.

His remarks come amid an ongoing campaign by the opposition on “vote chori” (vote theft) claims that they have been wrongfully removed from electoral rolls.

“Aadhaar is currently the basis for payments to beneficiaries, but it will no longer be considered the primary means of identification,” Mr Singh said.

Speaking in Delhi, the minister lamented the easy availability of the Aadhaar card, which he said could be produced “on every street corner”, suggesting the possibility of fraudulent beneficiaries. “If anyone wants, they can get an Aadhaar card in five minutes,” he said.

He said beneficiaries would instead have to provide biometric authentication along with EPIC or Voter ID card numbers to establish their identity and receive government benefits. “Biometric authentication along with EPIC will serve as their identification details and payments will be made based on this information,” he said.

The proposed shift, the minister argued in Gangtok, would ensure that welfare schemes are extended only to “eligible” beneficiaries, thereby eliminating “fraudulent entries”. This would strengthen the verification process and improve transparency in the provision of welfare benefits, he said

The Sixteenth Finance Commission has recommended total grants of ₹4,35,236 crore for 2.55 lakh panchayats and traditional local bodies for the award period 2026–31.

Published – 03 Nov 2026 22:42 IST