Audit Uncovers BMW Owners, Luxury Residents Among Kerala Pension Beneficiaries
Malappuram, Kerala: A recent audit by the Kerala Finance Department has uncovered alleged malpractice of ineligible persons receiving social security pensions meant for poors. The incident was reported from the Kottakkal Municipality in Malappuram district, in which 38 out of 42 pension recipients were found to be ineligible while one listed beneficiary is a deceased person, as per multiple media reports.
The individuals receiving the pension that was meant for the underprivileged, included even the owners of luxury BMW cars and residents of air-conditioned homes, to the authorities’ shock. Some of the fraudsters were getting the benefits of the social security schemes of the left government in the state with their forged income certificates.
However, the government has launched an investigation against the officials of the Municipal Corporation
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Earlier, a previous inspection by Information Kerala Mission, monitoring the computerisation and networking of local self-govt institutions, had found that 1,458 govt employees in the state had been fraudulently claiming social security pensions. The culprits included gazetted officers and college professors, fraudulently claiming pensions, which prompted action against them.
Kerala’s social security pension scheme supports vulnerable groups, including the elderly, widows, and people with disabilities, offering a monthly pension of Rs 1,600 to approximately 6.2 million beneficiaries. The scheme is managed by local bodies such as Grama Panchayats, Municipalities, and Corporations. The eligibility for the scheme is calculated based on the income limit and residence requirements.
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The scam was found in an assessment check by the authorities. The finance department’s audit was part of an initiative to plug holes in the social security schemes.
Notably, the authorities have decided to proceed with monitoring the eligibility checks covering all social security scheme beneficiaries in the Kottakkal Municipality. The government has also asked the local-self-government institutions to carry out regular assessment of the eligibility of the beneficiaries of the various social schemes. The officials reportedly suspect corruption behind the including of economically stable individuals in the welfare scheme.
