The enormity of the scam can be gauged from a scrutiny of the pension data from 10 villages in Dudu tehsil of Jaipur district, where 2,593 of the 4,489 beneficiaries were found to be fake
Authorities in Rajasthan have come across scores of cases where people have managed to manipulate their age in government records to avail monthly pension meant for the elderly.
The enormity of the scam can be gauged from a scrutiny of the pension data from 10 villages in Dudu tehsil of Jaipur district, where 2,593 of the 4,489 beneficiaries were found to be fake. As per the scheme, women above 56 and men beyond 58 are entitled to a pension of Rs 500 a month.
Lakshmi Kanwar, a resident of Neemli, said that she and two others paid Rs 9,000 to an eMitra operator, an agent who facilitates delivery of digital services, to get their data fudged. Lakshmi's age was changed from 36 to 56. She now draws the pension along with her 64-year-old mother-in-law.
"I am 40 and I have been receiving old age pension for six months now," said Bhanwari Devi of the same village. In Neemli, of the 175 beneficiaries on record, 110 are actually ineligible.
The welfare scheme is worth Rs 4,137 crore for the entire state.
In nearby Bokravas village, Raghuveer Singh revealed that he bribed an eMitra operator to get his age changed. He is 43 in ration card, 48 in Aadhaar and 70 in the pension record. Sources said the nexus involves officials from gram panchayat, postal department and eMitra centres where pension applicants' data are uploaded online.
A social justice department official, who did not wish to be identified, explained the modus operandi. He said the eMitra operators take the thumb reading on the point of sale (POS) machine and change a person's age for the card whose database they have an access to. "Most IDs submitted for revision of information are Aadhaar, Bhamashah and ration cards."
The person then applies for the pension and the verification of these fake pensioners is done by the panchayat. "Once the person starts receiving the pension, the eMitra centres reverse the information on the beneficiary cards to the original details," said the official.
The Rajasthan government has made it mandatory to submit both Aadhaar and Bhamashah cards for availing social welfare schemes. The Bhamashah cards are provided to female members of the family. Their thumb impressions are linked to their savings bank accounts where the monetary benefit is directly credited.
State Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi said they have come across few irregularities. "Some cases of fraud have also been reported where information is believed to have been manipulated to avail the benefits."
Chaturvedi said the district collector and officials of the department of social welfare have been instructed to go to the bottom of the complaints. "The government will not allow anyone to misuse the rights of the needy. Once the probe is over, we will stake strict action against those involved."
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The welfare scheme is worth Rs 4,137 crore for the entire state.
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