Over 54,000 pensioners in Bengaluru South are under scrutiny for suspected fake claims. The Karnataka government has launched verification to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive social security pensions.
Ramanagara: After cracking down on ineligible BPL ration cards, the state government has now turned its attention to social security pensions. It has identified a whopping 54,430 pensioners in the district who might be getting the monthly amount without being eligible.
The government's goal is to ensure that social security pensions reach only those who truly deserve them. However, initial data suggests that these 54,430 individuals in the district might have submitted false documents to get their pensions.
Lakhs of people in the district receive monthly pensions ranging from ₹800 to ₹2,000 under schemes like Sandhya Suraksha, old-age pension, widow pension, Maitri, Manasvini, and disability allowance. The government suspects that among these beneficiaries are government employees, income tax payers, APL card holders, people with GST numbers, and even those who are younger than the eligible age.
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Based on its records, the state government has flagged 54,430 pensioners in the district as 'suspicious'. Kanakapura taluk has the highest number with 16,489 suspicious cases, while Harohalli has the lowest with 4,164. The numbers for other taluks are Ramanagara (7,511), Magadi (12,056), and Channapatna (14,210).
Physical Verification of All Criteria
The government identified these ineligible beneficiaries by cross-referencing their details with family data, age, income limits, income tax payments, and HRMS information, especially under the Sandhya Suraksha scheme.
Village-wise, taluk-wise, and district-wise lists of these beneficiaries have already been sent to all Tahsildars. The Revenue Department's Social Security and Pension wing has ordered Village Administrative Officers to physically verify the beneficiaries' age, income limit, APL status, income tax payments, and HRMS data. They have been told to take necessary action to cancel the pensions of those found ineligible.
A mobile app called 'Samyojane' will be used to complete the verification of these suspicious pensioners. All Village Administrative Officers have been trained, and their app logins already contain the list of suspicious pensioners in their respective villages.
Confusing Government Rules are the Main Problem
Here's where things get complicated. The state government issues BPL cards to families with an annual income of up to ₹1.20 lakh. However, to receive a pension, the government has set the maximum family income limit at just ₹32,000. This has caused a lot of confusion.
Because of this rule, many people who hold BPL cards and are genuinely eligible for support have ended up on the suspicious list. There's a real fear that after verification, many such deserving families might have their pensions cancelled.
Officials from the Social Security and Pension Department say, "During Aadhaar verification, we found that some pensioners were younger than the eligible age. We've also received complaints about able-bodied individuals getting disability pensions with fake certificates. We will re-investigate such cases. This is not just cheating the government; it's cheating the public."
No System to Identify Fake Information
Many people whose Aadhaar cards show they are not yet 60 have managed to get social security pensions using false documents. There is currently no solid system to accurately estimate the income of applicants for BPL cards or pensions. This loophole has allowed income tax payers and government employees to become beneficiaries of these schemes. To fix this, a proper system to verify income and identify deserving people is needed.
MLA Iqbal Hussain Backs Pensioners
MLA Iqbal Hussain raised his voice for the 54,430 suspicious pensioners during a KDP meeting chaired by District in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy. He insisted that no eligible beneficiary should be deprived of their pension. He suggested a village-wise campaign to verify documents. "I will not stay silent if even one deserving person loses their pension," Iqbal Hussain warned the officials. Following this, Minister Ramalinga Reddy instructed the officials to conduct a village-wise campaign.
Taluk-wise List of Suspicious Pensioners
| Taluk | Number |
| Kanakapura | 16,489 |
| Ramanagara | 7,511 |
| Magadi | 12,056 |
| Channapatna | 14,210 |
| Harohalli | 4,164 |
| Total | 54,430 |
