Karnataka | 23 booked for obtaining pension money through fraudulent measure

The accused, aged between 50 and 60 obtained monthly pension of Rs 1,200 till March under Sandhya Suraksha and Indira Gandhi National Pension scheme by submitting fake documents online.

Davangere: As many as 23 persons of two villages in Channagiri taluk have duped the state government amounting to Rs 1,11, 200 by obtaining monthly pension under Sandhya Suraksha Yojana and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme for about six to eight months despite not being eligible for the same.

The villagers of Taaginakatte, Yalodahalli villages in the taluk, aged between 50 and 60 have obtained monthly pension of Rs 1,200 till March under Sandhya Suraksha and Indira Gandhi National Pension scheme by submitting fake documents online.

Sources in district administration stated that these villagers uploaded empty PDF copies on the portal to avail monthly pension and Deputy tahasildar Neelamma who is supposed to verify the documents approved them without checking the authenticity of the documents. District administration has recommended disciplinary action against her to the Regional Commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner G M Gangadharaswamy told that Basavapatna police have registered a case against 23 villagers. They were found to have tampered with the data of Aadhaar card deliberately to avail the pension. The money would be recovered from the unauthorised beneficiaries of the schemes.

Following tip-off from an elected representative, district administration ordered for probe into the alleged irregularities of social welfare scheme and found that the villagers misused the scheme for personal gains.