Badagaon: Irregularities have surfaced in social security scheme in Badagaon block of Sundargarh district, reports said. Allegations have surfaced that pension funds for 18 persons, who have already died, have been withdrawn.
It is alleged that in this ghost beneficiary fraud about Rs 2.5 lakh pension fund money has been misappropriated during the last two years.
In one such irregularity, huge amounts of pension fund under various social security schemes have been bungled in the name of 18 persons who have already dead.
As per the guidelines, names of the beneficiaries registered under various social security schemes including old-age pension and widow pension are to be deleted post their death.
However, here in this case the names of the dead beneficiaries were kept in the list and pension funds were fraudulently withdrawn from their accounts.
For instance, investigation revealed that Panibuda Parua was disbursed old-age pension but she died December 20, 2017. The pension money has been withdrawn in her name till January this year.
Another beneficiary Bishnu Prasad and his wife Asamati Majhi died two years before but they were also being disbursed pension money till February 2019.
The list of such beneficiaries is long. Other instances are of pensions of Sumiti Parua, Danial Toppe, Tarasila Tete and Philip Soren. There pension was also being withdrawn for the last two years.
In some cases, family members of dead beneficiaries have withdrawn pension money with forged signature.
Usually, after the death of a beneficiary another new beneficiary is included in the list. As the names of the dead beneficiaries had not been struck out, new beneficiaries were deprived off the social benefits. It may be mentioned here that it is the duty of Anganwadi and ASHA workers to update the beneficiary list with the death certificates of the deceased beneficiaries at the panchayat office. When asked about the irregularities, Sahajbaha sarpanch Vikram Toppe admitted to the lapses.
