Civil society group asks government to keep voter ID out of welfare benefits

A civil society group has written to Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh over his reported remarks that voter ID will replace Aadhaar for to identify beneficiaries of social welfare programmes. The group, Citizens for Fraternity Forum, urged the government to assure the public that electoral-roll status will not become a condition for receiving welfare benefits and that adequate safeguards will be established to prevent the exclusion of eligible beneficiaries. The group said it welcomed measures to improve transparency and accountability and prevent the misuse of public welfare schemes, but sought clarification on the use of EPIC or voter ID and biometric authentication in beneficiary-related processes. No eligible citizen should be denied welfare benefits merely because they do not possess a voter ID, their name is not included in the electoral rolls, or biometric authentication fails, the letter stated. The letter dated November 12 was signed by former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, ex-AMU vice chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah and former diplomat Ashok Kumar Sharma, among others. Welfare entitlements must remain linked to the eligibility criteria of the respective schemes, the letter noted, adding that accessible alternative methods of identification and effective grievance-redressal mechanisms must be ensured, particularly for elderly persons, women, persons with disabilities, migrants and other vulnerable citizens. Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh had reportedly said that access to financial benefits and welfare payments under schemes of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will now require an Elector's Photo Identity Card number along with mandatory biometric authentication.

Context

Public welfare schemes in India often rely on identity documents and biometric verification to ensure that funds reach the right recipients without leakage. At the same time, civil society groups frequently raise concerns that strict identification rules can sometimes accidentally lock out poor or vulnerable people who lack the required paperwork.