Middlemen exploiting old-age, disability pensioners in Odisha's Sambalpur!

Serious allegations have emerged, with claims that intermediaries are exploiting the welfare disbursement system in the Redhakhol locality of Sambalpur district, sources said on Monday.

These middlemen are allegedly demanding money from impoverished individuals, promising to assist them in securing their welfare benefits under the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department.

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

Fraudulent activities, including tampering with official documents, have resulted in ineligible individuals receiving benefits, while rightful claimants are left out.

The complaints have highlighted the issues with Aadhaar identity manipulation, particularly concerning the age criteria for senior citizen benefits.

In some instances, beneficiaries admitted to paying large sums to gain access to the scheme, with their ages falsely increased to meet the requirement of being over 60. Footage was captured that these admissions were from affected individuals.

“With the hope of getting the old-age allowance, I had paid Rs 1,000 to a middleman. He was demanding more, but I could not pay,” a female beneficiary Raibari Nayak stated.

“Some people are being given allowances by manipulating Aadhaar Cards. Middlemen are charging around Rs 4,000 for each person. Even, ineligible persons are getting allowances and eligible ones are being left out,” a resident Amaresh Pradhan said.

Must Read: Shocking! Elderly divyang woman crawls for 2km to avail old-age pension in Odisha's Keonjhar

Local authorities, including the Redhakhol block development officer (BDO), pledged to address the corruption claims. Officials underscore their commitment to rectify these discrepancies and ensure that benefits reach the correct recipients.

“If such manipulations are being done, we will probe into the allegations and take stringent action in this regard,” Redhakhol BDO Manoj Kumar Meher expressed when contacted.