NEW DELHI: A recent audit by Kerala’s Finance Department has exposed cases of social security pension misuse in Kottakkal Municipality in Kerala’s Malappuram district, where individuals owning luxury assets like BMW cars were found receiving pensions meant for the economically weaker sections.
“Some welfare pensioners reportedly live in houses equipped with luxuries such as air conditioners. There were also instances where spouses of government service pensioners were drawing welfare pensions,” said an official as quoted by news agency PTI.
The investigation also uncovered numerous unqualified recipients residing in spacious properties exceeding 2,000 square feet.
The state finance department further raised suspicions of corruption and collusion behind the substantial presence of undeserving beneficiaries within a single ward’s pension registry.
Following the discovery, the state government has initiated a comprehensive review of all social security pension recipients within Kottakkal Municipality. The Local Self-Government Department has received directives to guide the municipality through this verification process.
Meanwhile, the state finance minister adopted a stringent stance regarding the Kottackal incident by initiating a vigilance probe against officials who purportedly listed wealthy individuals as beneficiaries of the social security pension scheme. “The finance minister’s directive calls for vigilance investigations against officials who conducted eligibility verifications, revenue officials who issued income certificates, and those who approved pensions. The Finance Department has also instructed administrative departments to promptly report follow-up actions,” a PTI source said.
The investigation by the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau comes after an initial examination conducted by the Malappuram Finance Audit Department, which scrutinised pension recipients in Kottakkal Municipality’s 7th ward. “Out of 42 beneficiaries examined, 38 were found ineligible, and one was deceased,” the PTI source said.
Meanwhile, an earlier audit by the Information Kerala Mission, an organisation responsible for digitising and connecting local self-government bodies in Kerala, revealed that 1,458 government employees across the state were wrongfully claiming social security pensions. In response, Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal mandated strict disciplinary proceedings against the officials involved in this misconduct.
Balagopal further criticised government employees receiving welfare pensions while adding that revealing the full list would be shocking. “It is wrong for government officials to receive welfare pensions. Legal action will be taken against such officials. Welfare pensions are meant for those who are eligible. The money received illegally so far will be recovered. Releasing the full list would be shocking,” he said.
The minister announced ongoing efforts to prune the welfare pension beneficiary list, targeting individuals with annual incomes exceeding Rs 1 lakh and government employees, if any, receiving these pensions. Notices will be issued to such employees, and action will be taken against local government officials who wrongly certified eligibility, said the minister.
The state administration of Kerala has established stringent qualifying requirements for welfare pension programmes to ensure assistance reaches only genuine beneficiaries. The basic requirements for pension eligibility stipulate that yearly household earnings must not exceed Rs 1 lakh, while applicants should not possess premium assets like powerful vehicles or spacious contemporary residences.
The guidelines also explicitly exclude individuals who collect multiple pension benefits, pay income tax or live in institutional care facilities from accessing these schemes.