Kasaragod: Pension Fraud -- 1,458 govt employees found misusing welfare pension

Kasaragod: A staggering 1,458 government employees have reportedly been found fraudulently claiming welfare pensions intended for the underprivileged under Kerala’s social security scheme.

Among the accused are senior government officials, including gazetted officers and professors earning over Rs 1 lakh per month. They were found creating fake documents to siphon off pensions meant for the needy.

Fraud Across Departments

The fraudulent activity is spread across several departments, with the Health Department leading with 373 suspect cases, followed by the Education Department (224), Medical Education (124), AYUSH (114), Animal Husbandry (47), Technical Education (46), Homoeopathy (41), Agriculture (25), Revenue (35), Social Justice (34), Insurance Medical Services (31), College Education (27), Sales Tax (14), SC Welfare (13), and others. Even employees from Rural Development, Police, PSC, and Ayurveda Medical Education departments have reportedly been implicated.

According to reports, each individual was siphoning Rs 1,600 per month through these false claims. The scam was unearthed following an investigation by the Kerala Information Mission under directives from the state finance department.

Strict Action Promised

Kerala Finance Minister K. N. Balagopalan has announced stringent legal action against the accused, emphasizing the gravity of misusing a scheme designed for the poor.