M A I N   N E W S

TRIBUNE SPECIAL
23-cr pension scam could be ‘peanuts’
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 7
The confidential inquiry report which the state government had refused to table on the floor of Punjab Assembly is with The Tribune.

After going through the 87-page report prepared by the then Public Grievances Officer, Dr Rishi Paul Singh, it is clear that Rs 23 crore old-age pension scam, unearthed in Amritsar city is just a tip of the iceberg. Though the state government had ruled out the involvement of a high official at Chandigarh, the inquiry officer mentioned the name of the concerned Deputy Director who was allegedly involved in the biggest ever scam in the state’s Social Security Department. The report reveals that a well-oiled network of agents had siphoned off a huge amount in connivance with government and bank officials. A large number of ineligible/under age and well-off persons succeeded in getting pensions while some eligible and deserving old persons had been going from pillar to post to get a meagre amount as pension.

According to the report, more than 5,000 persons, including ineligible ones got their pensions released after giving him the (Deputy Director) a hefty amount. In yet another startling information, the report states that the facts forwarded by the Additional Director-General (Vigilance) that about 40 per cent beneficiaries of the scheme are under aged, is correct.

Shockingly, veteran CPI leader, Mr Satya Pal Dang, who was the first to highlight the scandal, did not get any satisfactory reply from the Chief Minister despite a number of reminders. Mr Dang said the state government had concealed most of the significant and glaring facts deliberately to protect certain high officials.

In his reply to the unstarred question of the CPI MLA, Mr Hardev Arshi, the then Social Security and Women and Child Development Minister, Mr Gobind Singh Kajra, had admitted that “the office of the District Social Security Officer (DSSO) has paid double pension to the beneficiaries and has also paid pension to the ineligible persons in some cases. In addition to this, pensions have been sanctioned to ineligible, under-age persons. The reply of the minister further reads that “this all has been manipulated with the involvement of the DSSO, employees and agents. It has also been mentioned in the report that staff members of a few banks had disbursed the pension to the beneficiaries in the presence of the agents.”

However, Mr Dang wrote to Mr Badal that the reply of the minister revealed very little and hid the most shocking facts. He alleged that he was of the firm view that a major part of the Rs 23 crore scam had fattened the huge sized pockets of some bigger people at Chandigarh.

Interestingly, Mr J.R. Kundal, Secretary, Department of Relief and resettlement, in a communication to Mr Dang has stated that out of the 638 pensioners (a list of whom was provided by Mr Dang) 10 had been found ineligible; there were double entries in relation to seven while the rest 621 beneficiaries had been sent arrears and were getting pensions regularly. However, the claims of Mr Kundal were belied when Mr Dang informed that 150 our of the 621 neither got any arrears nor regular pension so far. He alleged that while feeding the names of the beneficiaries, “bogus” entries were put in the computers of the department. He sought deterrent punishment and prosecution of all those found to be involved in the scandal.

The report also brought some startling facts to the fore. It stated that some employees had taken away the official record without handing over the office charge to their successors after their transfers. So much so that many lists of beneficiaries were not verified by the seniors. One of employees, Mr Kartar Chand, admitted that he was aware of the irregularities and had pointed these out of the DSSO. However, Mr Sarup Singh Pannu, the then DSSO told him (Mr Kartar Chand) that he was entitled to do so because he was the Drawing and Disbursing Officer. The report added that one Satinder Kaur was not allowed to make the data entries. Had she made data entries in the computer, the irregularities could have been stopped. Instead many list were prepared manually from outside. After going through the record at Central Cooperative Bank, Tarn Taran, the Inquiry Officer found that 60 per cent pensioners did not get their dues.

Another startling fact is that most of the bank employees, including managers, would ask the beneficiaries to bring “agents”, so that dues could be paid to them in their presence. The agents would charge their commission at the time of disbursement.

At the time of the inquiry, some employees tried to tamper with the records. One Joginder Kaur, alias Dodhan, admitted during the inquiry that she had worked as an “agent”. She also admitted that she would give “commission” to DSSO officials.

Describing the shocking role of some bank employees, the report alleged that the manager of Mandiala branch used to collect Rs 100 from each beneficiary through a sweeper. When inquiry officers inquired from the manager, he said this amount was being collected for serving tea in the bank.

Mr Dang said if a Rs 23-crore scam would be unearthed from Amritsar city alone, the scam could run into more than 100 crore if a high level probe was ordered.