Tribals Seek Exemption From Face Recognition Norm
The absence of a digital assistant has also prevented them from processing caste certificates, date-of-birth records and ration card updates
VISAKHAPATNAM: Tribals from Old Kotnabelli village in Anakapalle district staged a dharna on Thursday demanding exemption from the face recognition requirement under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) scheme.
Villagers said the rule requiring master registration through a Face App was impractical in their area due to the absence of mobile network coverage.
About 70 tribal families in Old Kotnabelli struggle to access basic services. To obtain ration rice, residents must walk about half a kilometre for fingerprint authentication, while Anganwadi children travel long distances for face recognition verification. Similar difficulties are reported in the villages of Ramanna Dorapalem, K. Kotnabelli and K. Gadabhapalem.
Villagers said they have to walk nearly seven kilometres to reach the Ajjapuram village secretariat, where staff are often unavailable. The absence of a digital assistant has also prevented them from processing caste certificates, date-of-birth records and ration card updates. They demanded that the vacant post be filled immediately.
Residents also raised concerns over poor infrastructure, including the absence of mobile towers and irregular electricity supply. They said the power lines remain continuously on as there is no switch at the transformer, forcing villagers to travel to Ajjapuram to shut off the supply during emergencies.
Community leaders Padi Bennaiah and S. Valasaiah urged the authorities to address these issues, stating that the face recognition rule places an additional burden on tribal families in areas lacking basic connectivity and services.