No action yet in fake beneficiaries case

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, August 17

It has been a month since the state Department of Social Security and Woman & Child Development identified 70,137 ‘fake’ beneficiaries, drawing Rs 162.35 crore in pension illegally. However, recovery notices are yet to be served to these persons. Notably, the department presently gives Rs 750 per month to widows, aged, destitute children and disabled persons.

NOTICES SOON

The recovery notices will be sent soon. The process is taking time because of the strike of employees. — Naveen Gadwal, Social Security Officer, Muktsar

Sources in the department said the fake beneficiaries would be given 15 days to return the pension received by them in the past. “However, we are yet to serve the recovery notices to these persons,” a source maintained.

Notably, on July 17, the department had asked DCs to constitute district-level committees, led by district social security officers, to review the recovery process every 15 days.

Naveen Gadwal, District Social Security Officer (DSSO), Muktsar, said: “As many as 7,441 ineligible beneficiaries have been detected in Muktsar district and Rs 15.7 crore is to be recovered from them.”

The maximum ‘fake’ beneficiaries, 12,573, have been detected in Sangrur district, where Rs 26.63 crore has been siphoned off between 2009 and 2017.