In a significant development, six employees from Kerala’s Soil Survey and Conservation department have been suspended in connection with a social security pension fraud. The employees were found to have illegally drawn welfare pensions to which they were not entitled. The fraud was uncovered following an investigation by the state’s finance department, which revealed that the employees had misused the social security pension scheme to collect benefits unlawfully.
The suspended employees include assistants, part-time sweepers, and staff from various offices across the state. The investigation found that they had fraudulently claimed pension amounts, violating the established guidelines and regulations. As a result, the finance department has instructed the employees to repay the full amount of pension they received, along with a penal interest rate of 18%.
The fraud came to light during an audit by the state’s finance department, which involved a comprehensive review of pension distribution records. It was found that a total of 1,458 government employees across various departments had illegally claimed social security pensions, some of them even holding positions as gazetted officers.
The government has stated that stringent measures will be taken to recover the funds and prevent further fraud. The case has raised concerns about the adequacy of monitoring systems within the social security pension program, and officials have pledged to enhance oversight in the future.
