Thiruvananthapuram: As many as six employees of the Kerala government's Soil Survey and Soil Conservation Department have been placed under suspension for unlawfully availing the monthly welfare pension.
Such disciplinary action was initiated against four part-time sweepers, a superintendent, and a Grade-II office attendant, after an investigation revealed that they were allegedly involved in fraudulent activities to receive welfare pension or the social security pension, which is meant for elderly, widows, and people with disabilities.
The suspended individuals include Sajitha KA, Grade-II Office Attendant at Kasaragod District Soil Conservation Office; Naseed Mubarak Manzil, Superintendent at Vadakara Soil Conservation Office; Sheejakumari G, Part-time Sweeper at Pathanamthitta Soil Conservation Office; Bhargavi P, Part-time Sweeper at Meenangadi Soil Conservation Office; Leela K, Part-time Sweeper at Meenangadi Soil Conservation Assistant Director's Office; and Rajani J, Part-time Sweeper at Thiruvananthapuram Central Soil Analytical Lab.
Acting on the directive of the state administration, the Director of Agricultural Production, who heads the Soil Survey and Soil Conservation Department, issued an order to recover the entire pension amount availed illegally by these six employees, along with a penalty of 18 percent interest. During their suspension period, the errant employees will receive only a subsistence allowance, though the exact duration of the suspension period remains unspecified.
A recent fact-finding survey carried out by the state finance department revealed that around 1,458 government workers, including gazetted officials, were receiving social security pension. During audit, the finance department came across massive irregularities in the pension distribution system in Malappuram’s Kottakkal municipality. Subsequently on December 12, the state government ordered local administration to retrieve the embezzled pension payments from the ineligible beneficiaries and charge an additional 18% interest. Further, the government ordered departmental action against officials who enabled the unlawful distribution of pension.
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