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New Delhi : Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, has made a significant statement regarding the utility of the Aadhaar card. He indicated that, in the future, payments to beneficiaries will be processed using their biometrics and Voter ID (EPIC) numbers, rather than their Aadhaar numbers. The Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying made these remarks last Friday during a national workshop on the ‘Jan Yojana Abhiyan’ (People’s Plan Campaign) 2026-27, organized by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Addressing the workshop, Lalan Singh stated, “I would like to add one more point: the Aadhaar card will no longer be the basis for making payments to beneficiaries. Currently, entities that issue Aadhaar cards can be found on every street corner—if you ask them, they can get an Aadhaar card ready for you in just five minutes.”
He also called for broad participation in efforts aimed at fostering ‘self-reliant’ and ‘developed’ panchayats (village councils). He noted that for gram panchayats to qualify for performance-based grants, they must increase revenue generation through their own internal sources.
It should be noted that while the Ministry of Panchayati Raj does not currently have schemes that involve direct transfers of funds into beneficiaries’ bank accounts, certain schemes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying do mandate the use of Aadhaar for processing payments.
Under the ‘National Livestock Mission – Entrepreneurship Development Programme,’ run by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, eligible beneficiaries seeking to avail of the scheme’s benefits are required to provide proof of possessing an Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.
Furthermore, Aadhaar-linked bank accounts are also used for disbursements under various other initiatives, including the rural employment guarantee program, PM-Kisan, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), as well as pension schemes for the elderly, widows, and persons with disabilities.
Report : Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)
