New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): Union Minister Annapurna Devi hit back at Congress MP Jairam Ramesh for claiming that the Modi government is using technology to keep poor people away from welfare schemes.

She said the government uses tools like Aadhaar, biometrics, and face recognition to ensure help reaches the right people quickly and without corruption.

However, Jairam Ramesh claimed that these technologies are making it harder for pregnant women, tribals, and workers to get the benefits they deserve.

In a post on X on Monday, Annapurna Devi wrote, 'The Modi government is ensuring transparency and inclusion in welfare schemes through technology. Congress's only job is to spread lies and misconceptions, and to hinder the effective implementation of our government's schemes. With the help of modern technologies like Facial Recognition System (FRS), Biometric and Aadhaar, the government today is successful in reaching the last line beneficiary.'

https://x.com/annapurna4bjp/status/1937164089450692692?s=48

Devi dismissed claims that technology is reducing access to welfare schemes, stating that the number of first-time beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has actually increased, from 72.05 lakh in 2019-20 to a record 80.48 lakh in 2024-25, with over 27 lakh already registered in the first quarter of 2025-26.

'It is totally wrong to say that the use of technology has led to a decline in PMMVY beneficiaries. First-time beneficiaries in 2019-20: 72.05 lakh, increase to: 80.48 lakh in 2024-25 (highest ever number) and in the first quarter of 2025-26 itself: 27 lakh+ beneficiaries,' the post reads.

She said over 10 crore farmers receive monthly DBT under PM-Kisan, and more than 20 crore families benefit from ration and financial aid under PMGKY.

'Today, over 10 crore farmers are receiving direct benefit transfers (DBT) every month through the PM-Kisan scheme, and more than 20 crore families are availing ration and financial support under the PMGKY. This is not the tenure of Congress, where if you gave Rs 1, only 15 paise would reach the beneficiary. This is the Modi Government, where if you give Rs 100, the full Rs 100 reaches the beneficiary,' the post further reads.

Earlier, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had accused the Modi government of using technology to block poor and vulnerable people from getting welfare benefits.

In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh wrote, 'The Modi government is systematically using technology to deprive the most deprived sections of the country of the rights they receive under social welfare schemes. First, Aadhaar was used as a weapon to exclude crores of workers from MNREGA. Acid attack survivors had to fight in court just to get their names added to Aadhaar. Tribals across the country are still deprived of their ration due to technical glitches. Now, pregnant women have been faced with yet another hurdle face recognition technology (FRT) has now been made mandatory to avail of the basic and legal rights under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).'

https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1937024012347125862

He alleged that due to technical issues, the number of women receiving help under the PM Matru Vandana Yojana dropped from 96 lakh in 2019-20 to just 27 lakh in 2023-24.

'There is evidence around the world that techniques such as FRT discriminate on the basis of skin colour and class. Earlier, there has been evidence of failure and disruption of technologies such as Aadhaar based payment system (ABPS), National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app. The 365th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Child, Youth and Sports also mentioned how the implementation of ABPS in the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana disrupted the access of benefits to pregnant and lactating women.The result of this was that the scheme under which 96 lakh women received payment in 2019-20, was reduced to just 27 lakh in 2023-24. The aim of Digital India should be empowerment and not snatching away rights. Speech is about inclusion, behavior is about exclusion - this should not be the case,' the post reads. (ANI)