Kerala social security pension fraud: Six employees of Soil Survey and Conservation department suspended

The suspended employees include a work superintendent, an office attendant and four part-time sweepers attached to different offices of the department. (image for representation)
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Six employees of the Soil Survey and Soil Conservation department of Kerala have been placed under suspension pending inquiry for illegally drawing the social security pensions meant for the disadvantaged sections of the society.

The suspended employees include a work superintendent, an office attendant and four part-time sweepers attached to different offices of the department. Instructions have been issued for recovering the full pension amount drawn by them at a penal interest rate of 18%.

The decision represents the first set of actions taken on the basis of a November 30 Finance department directive to government departments seeking stern disciplinary action against such employees and the recovery of the pension amount with interest from them.

According to a December 8 order issued by Saju K. Surendran, director, Soil Survey and Soil Conservation department, the following employees have been suspended: Naseed Mubarak Manzil, work superintendent (Vadakara); Sajitha K.A., office attendant (Kasaragod), and part-timer sweepers Sheejakumari G. (Pathanamthitta), Bhargavi P. (Meenangadi), Leela K. (Meenangadi), Rajani J. (Thiruvananthapuram).

B. Ashok, Principal Secretary (Agriculture), said action against employees who were found to be drawing the pensions would continue.

The department’s decision is expected to put pressure on other departments as well to follow suit and take action against employees who have been drawing the pension without any eligibility for it.

In November, a Finance department probe through the Information Kerala Mission had revealed that 1,458 government employees, including school and college teachers, were illegally drawing these pensions.

The Health department and the General Education department tops this list with 373 and 224 employees respectively. Other departments included Animal Husbandry (74), Public Works (47), Technical Education (46), Homeopathy (41), Revenue and Agriculture (35 each), Social Justice (34), Insurance Medical Services (31) and Collegiate Education (27).

Benefit not relinquished

In some cases at least, the disability pension (one of the five social security pensions) were being drawn by individuals who had failed to relinquish the benefit after gaining government employment, according to government officials.

In November, the government had also ordered a Vigilance probe into government officials who allegedly helped several individuals, including owners of high-end luxury cars, in ward number 7 of Kottakkal municipality, Malappuram, to find a place on the beneficiary list of the social security pension.