Pension fraud rocks Odisha village, BDO lodges complaint against 65 ‘fake beneficiaries’

In a notable development, at least 65 ‘fake beneficiaries’ have been accused of fraudulently claiming old-age pensions through forged documents in a suspected scam in Argal panchayat of Odisha’s Kendrapara district.

The matter came to the fore after Aul Block Development Officer (BDO) reported the discrepancies and lodged a complaint in this connection. The police investigation has prompted charges to be filed at Aul police station, implicating these ‘fake recipients’ in fraudulent activities.

Reports suggest that the ‘fake beneficiaries’ used forged voter IDs and Aadhaar cards to illegally obtain the pension money. Taking strict action, the BDO has mandated the recovery of pension funds disbursed over the past seven months. 

According to reports, the scam allegedly involved the misuse of vital identification documents, including voter ID cards and Aadhaar cards, enabling unqualified applicants to wrongfully benefit from the pension scheme.

According to sources, at least 303 individuals had applied for the pension scheme. Later, the block administration carried out their physical verifications in collaboration with a medical team. However, out of 303 beneficiaries, only 240 attended the verification, with around 65 beneficiaries remaining absent.

Sources said, the pension money was distributed without proper verification of documents. Proper verification of Voter ID and Aadhaar Cards prior to pension disbursement could have thwarted the fraud.

The block authorities have taken a firm stance to rectify these irregularities and ensure such lapses do not recur.

“All the documents are false, be it school leaving certificate (SLC), Voter ID cards, Aadhaar Card, and others. The documents do not match. Many have even availed their pension money with forged documents. Now, they have been instructed to return the pension money they obtained illegally,” the BDO said.