Chandigarh: The Haryana government is developing a facial recognition-based mobile app to verify the identity of beneficiaries receiving pensions and social security schemes. The app, currently in its final testing phase, is being piloted in Panchkula and Ambala districts before a planned statewide rollout.
Officials say the primary objective is to ensure accurate and timely verification of life certificates, helping remove deceased beneficiaries from welfare records and improving the efficiency of social entitlement disbursements.
More than 36 lakh residents across Haryana currently receive support under various schemes. These include the Old Age Samman Allowance, widow pensions, disability pensions, and assistance for individuals with dwarfism, transgender persons, destitute children, and those living with rare diseases.
According to data from the Department of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Administration (SEWA), 21.96 lakh senior citizens receive the old-age allowance, followed by 8.88 lakh widows and 2.09 lakh persons with disabilities.
Once launched, the app will allow eligible individuals to submit their life certificates through facial recognition via their smartphones, twice a year. Officials say this digital system will reduce dependency on physical verification and improve record accuracy.
“This app will enable pensioners to self-certify from their homes,” said Prashant Panwar, Director, SEWA Department, adding that the initiative aims to streamline processes and avoid unnecessary visits to government offices.
The Haryana team drew on similar welfare tech initiatives implemented in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Panwar said the department visited Rajasthan in February to study the implementation of a comparable app used for pension verifications there.
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