Cuttack: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has been disbursing old age pension in the name of a dead woman for the last 12 years.
The incident came to fore after the woman’s granddaughter and corporator Gouri Das (ward no. 21) filed a written complaint with CMC commissioner Bikash Chandra Mahapatra recently.
As per the complaint, Das’s grandmother P Mahalaxmi Das had died August 9, 2006. However, someone has been drawing a monthly old age pension of `300 in the name of the deceased for the last 12 years.
CMC officials, responsible for disbursal of pensions, were clueless about the irregularity when Das enquired about it. Soon, the corporator lodged a complaint in this regard with the CMC commissioner and sought a high-level probe into the issue.
Earlier, there were allegations that some people in cahoots with a few CMC officials used to draw pension in the names of dead beneficiaries. A few days ago, it was alleged that the municipal corporation had issued old age pension in the name of a dead person at ward no. 29 for a decade.
Meanwhile, some social activists and intellectuals have claimed a racket operating behind the pension irregularities and sought a Vigilance probe into the issue. It is learnt that the CMC commissioner has directed the deputy commissioner of the civic body to probe the pension irregularities. “We will take appropriate action after receiving the probe report,” Mahapatra said.
PNN
