A verification drive, now nearing completion in Allahabad district, has shown old-age pension being drawn in the name of 4,243 people who are dead.

“Of the 8,861 questionable cases detected in the district, while 4,243 were dead, 4,618 people were alive but did not fulfill the eligibility criteria,” said District Magistrate Rajeev Agrawal.

According to District Welfare Officer R K Sonkar, in the eight tehsils of the district — 503 people were found ineligible in Soraon, 489 in Phulpur, 1,881 in Handia, 1,160 in Koraon, 1,775 in Meja, 2,239 in Karchana, 302 in Bara and 108 in Sadar.

According to the procedure, a monthly pension of Rs 300 was given to those above 60 years of age and did not have any income or family support. The pension is paid through bank accounts — opened in the name of beneficiaries — and the passbook carries the photograph of the beneficiary. In this case, pensions were being drawn from accounts of dead men and women by producing fake authority letters, which were verified by local officials.

Agrawal said: “From the preliminary inquiry, it is clear that there are lots of discrepancies in age and other criteria. In about half of the cases, family members did not disclose the death of the beneficiary and continue to draw the money illegally in cahoots with local officials. The drive is still on and more fake cases are likely to be detected. The district has 1.22 lakh beneficiaries.”

Agrawal added that FIRs will not only be lodged against officials who had approved these cases, but also against those who had received the money illegally. A recovery drive will also be launched.

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