Telangana Govt to Deploy Facial Recognition to Identify Ineligible Welfare Beneficiaries

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has announced a sweeping administrative push combining technology, welfare scrutiny, and governance reforms under a 99-day programme titled ‘Praja Palana – Pragati Pranalika.’ The initiative, scheduled from March 6 to June 12 , aims to ensure that welfare schemes reach genuine beneficiaries while strengthening transparency in government administration.

Addressing a meeting of district Collectors and senior officials , the Chief Minister directed departments to adopt facial recognition technology to verify beneficiaries of welfare schemes and eliminate ineligible recipients. The government has already used this system in social security pensions , helping authorities remove nearly three lakh ineligible beneficiaries who had been receiving payments despite not meeting eligibility criteria. According to the Chief Minister, such irregularities persisted earlier due to the ineffective use of technology in monitoring welfare distribution.

The Praja Palana programme will be implemented in five phases , with district administrations tasked with conducting village-level meetings, field inspections, and grievance redressal programmes to ensure that government schemes are implemented efficiently. A dedicated mobile application will also be launched to monitor progress and track public complaints in real time.

Highlighting another major irregularity, Revanth Reddy warned officials about fraud involving outsourcing agencies . He said the state currently has around 1.70 lakh outsourcing and contract employees , but preliminary checks revealed that nearly 25,000 individuals had been drawing salaries without even possessing Aadhaar cards , effectively functioning as bogus employees . The Chief Minister directed officials to conduct comprehensive audits into these cases and instructed the Finance Department to register cases against those responsible for the irregularities.

Apart from welfare verification, the Chief Minister also emphasised the need to promote solar energy adoption among farmers. Officials have been asked to increase awareness about solar pump sets and rooftop solar installations , enabling farmers and households to generate electricity and earn additional income by supplying power to the grid.

In urban areas, authorities have been directed to register and monitor hostels for working women, boys and girls in Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri , and other cities to ensure safety and proper regulation.

CM Revanth Reddy also warned that educational institutions will be held accountable if drugs, narcotics, or e-cigarettes are found on their premises. Schools and colleges have been advised to appoint psychologists alongside teachers and Physical Education Trainers to support students’ mental well-being.

Road safety measures were also highlighted, with the Chief Minister instructing officials to conduct strict fitness checks for school buses, ensure regular eye tests for RTC and private drivers, and repair highway potholes to reduce accidents.

The 99-day governance mission will focus on ten key themes , including cleanliness, health, welfare delivery, child safety, anti-drug campaigns, farmers’ welfare, education, youth and sports, women’s empowerment, environmental protection, and road safety under the “Arrive Alive” initiative. The programme aims to strengthen accountability, transparency, and efficient public service delivery across Telangana.