Kerala Pension Fraud Scandal Unveiled

A probe in Kerala has exposed nearly 1,500 government employees, including high-ranking officials and educators, fraudulently claiming social security pensions meant for the disadvantaged. The Minister of Finance, KN Balagopal, has initiated strict measures to reclaim funds and impose disciplinary actions on those involved in the scam.

Nearly 1,500 government employees in Kerala, including senior officers and college professors, have been implicated in a scandal for fraudulently claiming social security pensions. This revelation has prompted Finance Minister KN Balagopal to order a set of rigorous disciplinary actions, according to official reports on Wednesday.

A government inspection, prompted by the Information Kerala Mission's initiative to computerize and network local government institutions, discovered the fraud. The inspection found gazetted officers, including college assistant professors and teachers from the higher secondary sector, unlawfully receiving pensions intended for the economically disadvantaged and elderly.

The Finance Department has mandated the recovery of wrongfully obtained pension sums along with interest. Continuous inspections are planned to uncover similar fraudulent cases, ensuring that ineligible recipients are removed while safeguarding the rights of legitimate beneficiaries.

(With inputs from agencies.)