The disclosure was made by her in a statement issued to counter allegations about glaring irregularities in her department and a large scale misuse of welfare funds by the department officials.

Tirath also insinuated that some officials in her own department were behind the pressure tactics and by levelling allegations that NGOs' funds were being siphoned off, they wanted to pressure her into clearing grants for the NGOs.

``Over 200 cases involving proposals and projects by NGOs requesting our recommendation for grant-in-aid have come up since March 17. Since it was humanly not possible to scrutinise so many cases, especially when I was busy from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Assembly for Budget session, the strategy was to load me with work and then obtain my approval without proper scrutiny by me,'' she said.

Adding that some of these proposal had been pending with the department for the past six month, she said her office scrutinised some proposals and found glaring irregularities. The minister was responding to the allegation that her ministry officials were siphoning off welfare funds by making frivolous purchases from fake companies.

``I have now requested the Lt Governor to order a vigilance inquiry into the distribution of old age pension claimed by non eligible beneficiaries. As for the purchase of wood worth Rs 1.5 lakh to keep people warm at the Tahirpur welfare centre, the case has been referred to the director (vigilance) for a detailed inquiry,'' she said, while referring to specific cases.

Maintaining that media was being fed with manipulated information on such irregularities, suggesting her involvement, she said she had already issued show cause notices to six officials regarding purchases made in January. In a surprise visit by her to the Nirmal Chhaya complex at Jail Road, she said, she had found several superintendents and officials missing from duty.