Two months on, Rs 9K recovered from 70K ‘fake’ pensioners

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 30

The Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development had identified 70,137 “ingenuine” beneficiaries of its pension schemes, who had drawn Rs 162.35 crore illegally in the mid of July. Subsequently, the department had asked the Deputy Commissioners to constitute the district-level committees to review the recovery process every 15 days. However, recoveries made so far has been negligible.

In Muktsar alone, 7,441 “fake” beneficiaries were detected, from whom Rs 15.7 crore is to be recovered.

The department gives Rs 750 per month to widows, old-age people, destitute children and disabled persons under its social welfare schemes.

The “fake” beneficiaries were given 15 days’ time to return the pension amount received by them in the past. “The notices were served to all ingenuine beneficiaries by the end of August through the CDPOs. The money has to be returned to the department through the cheque/banker’s draft,” said the department officials.

Naveen Gadwal, District Social Security Officer, said, “The recovery notices have been sent to all “ingenuine” beneficiaries, and nearly Rs 9,000 has been recovered till now.”

In some parts of the state, a few people have claimed that they were declared “fake” beneficiaries without being given any genuine reason.