Shocking news comes from Kerala. A review of social security pension beneficiaries by the state’s Treasury Department showed that owners of BMW cars and people living in houses with facilities such as air conditioning are receiving pension benefits. Official sources provided this information on Friday. The new revelations come against the backdrop of widespread outrage in Kerala over reports that nearly 1,500 government employees, including gazetted officers and university professors, had fraudulently availed themselves of social security pensions.
This case of financially strong people receiving social security pension came to light from Kottakal city in Malappuram district. According to finance ministry sources, such audits will be conducted across the state with the aim of removing all ineligible persons from the list of beneficiaries. Further, all local self-government bodies will be directed to regularly assess the eligibility of beneficiaries who receive pension amounts in bank accounts.
Finance Minister takes tough stance
State Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal on Friday took a tough stance on the Kottakar case, ordering a vigilance probe against officials who included such wealthy individuals in the social security pension scheme for the poor. “The finance minister has called for vigilant investigations into officials who verify qualifications, tax officials who issue income certificates and those who approve pensions,” a source said. The finance ministry has also instructed the executive branch to immediately report the follow-up. “
Shocking cases uncovered during investigation
The investigation, conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau of District 7 of Kottakal city, follows a probe into the pension beneficiaries by the Malappuram Financial Audit Department. “42 beneficiaries were screened and 38 of them were found to be ineligible and one of them has died,” sources said. According to officials, the audit revealed ineligible persons, including BMW car owners A shocking case of taking advantage of pension benefits. “Some pensioners live in houses with facilities such as air conditioning, and there are also cases where spouses of pensioners working in the government receive welfare pensions,” an official said.
Many ineligible beneficiaries live in homes larger than 2,000 square feet
The audit found that many ineligible beneficiaries lived in homes larger than 2,000 square feet. The Finance Ministry suspects corruption and collusion behind the large-scale inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries in single-ward pension lists. Therefore, the government has decided to check the eligibility of all social security pension beneficiaries in Kottakal city. After the incident came to light, local government units have been asked to issue instructions to the city government. Earlier, a check conducted by the Kerala Information Mission revealed that 1,458 government employees are receiving social security pension in the state. The delegation has requested Finance Minister Balagopal to take strict disciplinary action against the guilty officials. (with language input)
Also Read-
Fishing boat collided with Navy submarine, two bodies recovered
More than 1,100 fake bomb threats were received in two years, shocking the country. The complete number will surprise you.
india latest news
