Fraud worth Rs 90L uncovered in old age pension scheme in Odisha’s Jajpur

Fraud worth Rs 90L was uncovered in the Old Age Pension Scheme in Odisha’s Jajpur. The Block Social Security Officer has reportedly bungled the money by including several ineligible people, including teenagers under the scheme.

By the time, the forgery came to light, the state government had already lost Rs 90L. The matter came to the fore after Binjharpur BDO Dibyendu Kumar Das lodged a complaint against the Block Social Security Officer Dharmendra Sahoo.

As per reports, the BSSO fraudulently included 990 ineligible people, including teenagers aged 13-15, government employees, and even their spouses in the pension scheme and embezzled the money. He also prepared sanction orders containing fraudulent signatures of the Sub-Collector and produced them in the office for to avail the money, causing a loss of Rs 90L to the government ex-chequer from September 2023 to September 2024.

During the probe, the BDO found irregularities to the tune of Rs 90L following which he immediately alerted the District Collector before lodging a complaint against the BSSO.

Based on the BDO’s complaint, Binjharpur police registered a case and have launched a probe into the alleged irregularities. 
Meanwhile, the District Collector has warned of strict action against the BSSO if the complaints against him are found to be true.

No comments could be received from the BSSO in this regard.