Cuttack: Cases of ghost beneficiaries have hit the twin city again with two more instances of pension withdrawn in the name of dead people coming to fore here on Saturday.
The rampant fraud in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) was exposed after a woman, Amrita Patra, filed an RTI complaint suspecting gross irregularities in the disposal of pension by the CMC.
In first such case, one Nabaghana Mohanrana of Ward No. 30 in the district passed away in 2015 but pension is being withdrawn in his name till date. Moharana's wife Jhulana is in a state of shock after she came to know about the swindle.
“I don’t know who is withdrawing the money from the Cuttack Municipal Corporation. I have been cheated,” said a disappointed Jhulana.
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In another case, Sasmita Parida lost her father Kishore in May this year but someone is constantly withdrawing pension in his name.
“I want to know the people involved in illegally withdrawing money in the name of my father. The culprits must get exemplary punishment,” said Sasmita.
Meanwhile, the CMC Commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra has suspended one junior assistant of the Corporation.
“I have directed the officials to make a detailed report of the deceased people in all the wards here. Strict action will be taken against the people involved in illegally withdrawing and clearing the pension," said Mohapatra.