Big scam in Kerala! Government officers and owners of BMW cars eat away the pension of the poor, this is how the secret is revealed

Thiruvananthapuram: Now after another big scam has come to light in Kerala, the 'Vijayan' government here has become strict. Actually, the Finance Department here has conducted a review regarding the social security pension beneficiaries, in which it has been found that the owners of BMW cars and people living in air-conditioned houses are availing the pension benefits. Official sources gave this information on Friday.

This new revelation has come amid widespread outrage in Kerala following reports of about 1,500 government employees, including gazetted officers and college professors, fraudulently obtaining social security pension. This case of people from economically strong background receiving social security pension has come to light from Kottakkal Municipality of Malappuram district.

According to sources in the Finance Department, such an audit will be conducted in the entire state, the aim of which is to remove all ineligible persons from the beneficiary list. Further, all local self-governing bodies will be directed to regularly assess the eligibility of beneficiaries receiving pension amount in bank accounts. State Finance Minister K.N. Taking a tough stance on the Kottakkal case, Balagopal on Friday ordered a vigilance inquiry into the officials who had allegedly included such affluent individuals in the social security pension scheme for the poor.

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If sources are to be believed in this regard, “The Finance Minister has said that a vigilance inquiry will be conducted against the officers who verify eligibility, the revenue officers who issue income certificates and the persons who approve pensions. The Finance Department has also directed the administrative departments to immediately report the follow-up action.”

The investigation, conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in the 7th ward of Kottakkal Municipality, was preceded by the investigation of pension beneficiaries by the Malappuram Finance Audit Department. “Forty-two beneficiaries were screened, of which 38 were found ineligible and one has died,” the source said.

According to officials on the matter, the audit revealed shocking cases of ineligible persons including owners of BMW cars availing pension benefits. “Some pensioners reportedly live in houses with amenities like air conditioners,” an official said. Such instances were also found in which spouses of pensioners who had done government jobs were taking welfare pension.”

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The audit revealed that many ineligible beneficiaries were living in houses larger than 2,000 square feet. The Finance Department suspects corruption and collusion behind the large-scale inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries in the pension list of a single ward. As a result, the government decided to check the eligibility of all social security pension beneficiaries in Kottakkal Municipality. The Local Self Government Department has been asked to give instructions to the municipality after this matter came to light. Earlier, an inspection conducted by the Information Kerala Mission had revealed that 1,458 government employees were receiving social security pension in the state. The mission had requested Finance Minister Balagopal to take strict disciplinary action against the guilty officials. (with agency input)