Bareilly: The Women’s Welfare Department in Bareilly has uncovered a significant case of widow pension fraud involving 61 married women who illegally claimed benefits over a six-year period. The total misappropriated amount stands at ₹23.86 lakh.
Investigations revealed that middlemen charged ₹3,000 per applicant to process fake claims. These applications bypassed mandatory annual verification processes, enabling married women to receive pensions meant exclusively for widows.
Among the more egregious cases, two sisters-in-law from Bhimpur village were found to be drawing widow pensions despite being married and living with their spouses.
Recovery notices have been issued to all 61 beneficiaries, with the demand amounts ranging from ₹14,000 to ₹69,000 depending on the duration and scale of the fraud. So far, officials have managed to recover ₹3.4 lakh from 26 individuals.
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Officials acknowledge that gaps in cross-verification procedures and lack of field-level checks contributed to the prolonged misuse. With over 97,000 pensioners currently registered in the district, further scrutiny is expected to determine if similar frauds exist elsewhere in the system.
Authorities have assured that action will be taken against all involved, including those who facilitated the false entries and approvals.
