Gangtok: Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, on Tuesday announced that biometric authentication along with Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers would become the basis for identifying beneficiaries and processing payments under a new Panchayati Raj scheme, moving away from Aadhaar as the primary identification mechanism.
Singh was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an event at the Sikkim Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited in Gangtok on November 3.
“Aadhaar is currently the basis for payments to beneficiaries, but it will no longer be considered the primary means of identification,” Singh said.
Explaining the proposed verification mechanism, the Union Minister said beneficiaries would instead have to provide biometric authentication along with their EPIC or voter identification card numbers to establish their identity and receive government benefits.
“Going forward, the Aadhaar card will no longer serve as the basis for identifying beneficiaries. Instead, beneficiaries will need to provide biometric authentication along with their EPIC (Voter ID Number). These will serve as their identification credentials, and payments will be made based on that information,” he said.
Singh also pointed to the widespread availability of Aadhaar enrolment and issuing organisations, stating that such facilities were accessible in almost every locality.
He highlighted the role of technology in strengthening identity verification, noting that Aadhaar-based biometric authentication could be completed within five minutes.
The proposed shift, he said, would help prevent duplication in beneficiary records and ensure that government assistance reaches eligible individuals without multiple or fraudulent entries.
By making biometric authentication and EPIC numbers central to beneficiary identification, the government intends to strengthen verification and improve transparency in the delivery of welfare benefits.
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