Kerala: Govt orders vigilance probe into Social Welfare Pension fraud

The Kerala Finance Department has ordered a Vigilance inquiry into irregularities in the Social Welfare Pension scheme at Kottakkal Municipality. Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal directed investigations targeting officials involved in verifying eligibility, issuing income certificates, and approving pensions.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Finance Department is set to take stricter action regarding irregularities in the Social Welfare Pension scheme. Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal has directed a Vigilance inquiry against officials involved in fraud at the Kottakkal Municipality. The directive includes investigating officials who verified pension eligibility, those who issued income certificates, and those responsible for sanctioning the pensions. Relevant administrative departments have been instructed to initiate necessary measures for the investigation.

The Finance Department has also instructed that follow-up actions related to this matter be reported promptly. Additionally, it has been directed to assess the progress of the investigation against the guilty officials every month. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's investigation follows an inquiry conducted by the Malappuram Finance Audit Department concerning pension beneficiaries in Ward 7 of Kottakkal Municipality.

In the eligibility verification of 42 beneficiaries from Ward 7, it was found that 38 were ineligible, and one person was deceased. The investigation revealed that even BMW car owners were included in the pension list. Some welfare pension recipients were found to have luxuries like air conditioners in their homes. Additionally, individuals whose spouses received service pensions were also drawing welfare pensions. Most of the houses of these beneficiaries were over 2,000 square feet in size. The Finance Department's audit team reported that widespread corruption and conspiracy might have been involved in including such ineligible beneficiaries in the pension list from a single ward.

A detailed investigation into the distribution of Kerala's monthly Rs 1,600 social welfare pension has uncovered that at least 1,458 active government employees, including Gazetted officers, have been receiving the benefit. Reports estimate that approximately Rs 23 lakh has been spent on pensions for these ineligible recipients.

The revelations emerged during an inspection ordered by the Finance Department, which aimed to review the distribution process. The findings highlight that serving government officials are unlawfully availing a pension scheme designed to support the underprivileged, needy, and marginalized sections of society.