Pension of over 1,500 persons disbursed even after death

 More than 1,500 persons in the district were getting old age pension even after their death, an official said today.

Probe by the district social welfare department has revealed that out of the 35,018 people sanctioned for old age pension, 1,697 were were dead.

"1,697 beneficiaries of old age pension were found dead since years in the door-to-door verification drive," district social welfare department official Rampal Yadav said.

550 new applicants would be adjusted instead of the deceased, Yadav added.
An officer of Provincial Civil Services (PCS), Rinku Singh Rahi, who was posted as social welfare officer in Muzaffarnagar in 2008, had in March alleged a scam to the tune of Rs 30-40 crore in the department.

Subsequently, the state government had ordered an inquiry into the allegations.