PRAYAGRAJ: Over 9,000 individuals have been found to be fraudulently claiming Rs 1.20 lakh each under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, despite being homeowners themselves. Investigations have exposed the misuse of funds meant for the scheme, and authorities are now taking action to recover the availed subsidies.
Similarly, pension fraud has also been exposed in various govt schemes, with over Rs 40 lakh lost due to fake claims, deceased beneficiaries, and unreported remarriages. Authorities admitted that the absence of recovery mechanisms hampers further action, underscoring a pressing need for policy reforms and stricter verification.
Under the PMAY scheme, the govt provides Rs 1.20 lakh in three instalments to economically weaker families for constructing homes. However, a departmental survey conducted after disbursing the first instalment revealed that over 9,000 individuals across various villages had already built houses — some even double-storeyed. These beneficiaries submitted fake documents to claim the funds.
In Shankargarh block alone, over 3,127 beneficiaries had not even laid a single brick after receiving the initial assistance. Upon verification with locals, it was confirmed that these individuals had no need for a new house. Authorities are now preparing to initiate recovery proceedings against them.
Chief development officer Harshika Singh initiated the investigation and instructed the administration to initiate legal action against the accused. Additionally, officials who approved these applications are also under scrutiny.
The misuse doesn’t stop at housing schemes. Fraud was also detected in various pension schemes operated by the social welfare, women and child development, and disability welfare departments. According to official reports, around Rs 40 lakh in pension funds were illegally claimed.
In the Widow Pension Scheme, operated by the women and child development department, it was found that over 100 women had either remarried or passed away more than a year ago, but their pension continued to be credited. This led to a misallocation of more than Rs 12 lakh. District program officer Sarvjeet Singh said that the funds were sent to the correct bank accounts, but due to the absence of a recovery mechanism for such cases, no funds can be reclaimed.
Similarly, the Old Age Pension Scheme, which currently supports 1.53 lakh pensioners in the district, revealed that 2,351 beneficiaries had died a year ago, yet their families did not report the deaths, and the pensions continued to be credited. District social welfare officer Ram Shankar said that current rules do not allow recovery in such cases, limiting the department’s ability to act.
These revelations highlight serious loopholes in verification and recovery systems in welfare schemes and raise concerns about transparency and accountability in the distribution of public funds.