In a concerning revelation, Kerala’s social security system is facing scrutiny for allegedly benefiting individuals who are ineligible, including those owning luxury cars and residing in air-conditioned homes. Many of these beneficiaries are suspected of fraudulently claiming subsistence pensions through falsified income certificates.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has ordered a vigilance investigation into the Kottakkal municipality in Malappuram after an audit by the district finance department uncovered that 38 out of 42 beneficiaries in Ward 7 were ineligible for the pension. Shockingly, one of the pensioners was found to have passed away long ago.
An earlier investigation by the Information Kerala Mission (IKM), which manages the computerization of local government institutions, revealed that 1,458 government employees had been fraudulently claiming social security pensions. The initial breach in most cases occurred during the eligibility checks for welfare schemes aimed at the underprivileged.
In response to these findings, local authorities are now conducting regular eligibility checks on all social security beneficiaries in Kottakkal. Suggestions have been made to assess the progress of these investigations on a monthly basis. State Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal has instructed local self-government institutions to implement regular checks through beneficiaries’ bank accounts, aiming to remove ineligible names from pension lists.
With around 60 lakh welfare pensioners across the state, the Kerala government allocates approximately Rs 900 crore each month to distribute Rs 1,600 to eligible beneficiaries, making the issue of fraud a significant concern for the state’s social welfare system.