70K ‘fake’ pensioners in Punjab pilfer Rs 162 cr, recovery ordered

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 20

Large-scale pilfering of funds has come to light in Punjab with the Department of Social Security and Development of Women and Children identifying 70,137 “fake” pensioners drawing Rs 162.35 crore in old-age pension illegally.

The Special Secretary in the department today wrote to all deputy commissioners directing them to initiate the process of recovery from such beneficiaries.

A bulk of these pensioners is from Sangrur district (12,573), where Rs 26.63 crore has been siphoned over eight years, i.e. from 2009 to 2017. The least number of cases have been found in Pathankot (116).

Sources in the department said the government had issued a notification in June 2017 to investigate and identify dubious pensioners. The department has now asked the DCs to constitute district-level panels led by district social security officers to review the recovery process every 15 days. Each officer concerned will constitute a team for the purpose.

In cases where young individuals have been found to have received pension, the committee will check their proof of age and relevant documents before making the recovery. The recovery will start immediately in cases where beneficiaries have concealed their source of income at the time of applying for pension. For individuals who have withheld details of landholding, the amount will be recovered by way of land revenue arrears.