KOCHI: An inspection was carried out in Kerala following the order of the Kerala government and it was found out that 1,498 state officials, including gazette officers and college professors in the state, were fraudulently receiving social security pensions meant for the people of weaker sections of society.
The irregularities came to notice while an audit was conducted by the Information Kerala Mission after receiving instruction from the Finance Department to ensure the pension should only be available to the eligible ones.
The Kerala government provides Rs 1,600 as a monthly pension to around 62 lakh people who belong to the weaker sections of society.
After the irregularities, the government took a decision to recover the misappropriated pension amounts, including interest, from the employees.
Finance Minister KN Balagopal has also ordered strict disciplinary action against those who are involved in the matter.
KN Balagopal, while speaking to the media about this matter, stated that "The Finance Department has also assured that further scrutiny will continue to identify ineligible recipients. Measures will also be taken to ensure rightful pension distribution to eligible beneficiaries, safeguarding the integrity of the welfare system."
The finance department has now decided to continue the investigation at various levels to excavate such frauds.
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