Ineligible pensioners issue: Babus summoned

Ferozepur: Taking note of the casual attitude of the administration in initiating action against ineligible beneficiaries availing old age pension by furnishing false certificates in Hakewala village in Ferozepur, the Punjab and Haryana high court has asked a number of senior officials to appear before it in person.
The HC has issued notices to secretary of social security department, director of social security (child and women), deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police (vigilance) and district social security officer to appear before it on March 18.In his complaint to Ferozepur district social security officer on June 6, 2014, whistleblower Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Hakewala, alleged that nearly two dozen residents of his village, who were in the age group of 45 to 57 years as per the latest voters' list, were fraudulently getting the benefit of old age pensions.
The beneficiaries, also included the name of 46-year-old sarpanch of the village, who, according to rules couldn't claim the pension benefit, he alleged. Acting on the complaint, the DSSO had issued notices to all such ineligible beneficiaries to deposit the entire pension amount they had availed. However, none responded to the notices.
Kuldeep then filed a petition in the high court seeking directions for authorities for initiating strict action against officials concerned and fake beneficiaries, who usurped government revenue by furnishing fake certificates. Taking strong note of the issue, Justice Rakesh Jain summoned the concerned officials and all 23 fake beneficiaries to appear before HC on March 18, 2016.