BHUBANESWAR : The CAG has pulled up the State authorities for disbursement of previous age pension to useless individuals and misappropriation of pension fund to the tune of Rs 10.72 lakh by panchayat functionaries.
Verification of pension data of chosen panchayat samitis (49 out of 317 samitis) and gram panchayats (268 out of 6,798 GPs) revealed that 167 out of 1,700 beneficiaries to whom pension amounting to Rs 2.33 lakh had been paid in money throughout Could 2011 to March 2018 weren’t alive on the dates of cost of pension.
“On cross examine of money ebook of the Harishchandra Sahayata Scheme, meant for ex-gratia cost to the kin of deceased individuals, and data of Major Well being Centres/Group Well being Centres involved with the pension cost data, audit noticed that 167 beneficiaries to whom pension amounting to Rs 2.33 lakh had been paid in money weren’t alive on the dates of cost of pension,” the CAG report on Normal and Social Sector tabled within the Meeting on Saturday stated.
As pension continued to be paid of their identify for one to 22 months after their loss of life, it’s suspected to have been misappropriated.
Irregular funds of this nature had been made doable for not reporting the circumstances of loss of life of the beneficiaries instantly to the BDOs/sub-collectors by the GPs.
Scrutiny of previous age pension money ebook from October 2017 to March 2019 in 12 GPs of 11 panchayat samitis revealed that the previous panchayat government officers, sarpanchs, naib sarpanchs and secretaries of the GPs had retained unutilised funds of Rs 6.16 lakh with them for interval ranging between 5 months and 6 years.
Although these officers weren’t holding official positions, Rs 6.16 lakh was not handed over to their successors and no motion has been taken by the Panchayati Raj division to recuperate the quantity from them.
“Failure of the interior management system resulted in misappropriation of Rs 10.72 lakh. The division had neither strengthened the interior management measures to stop such circumstances nor taken punitive measures towards errant officers,” the report stated.
