Embezzelement of Funds under Central Freedom Fighter Pension

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Home Affairs

13-May-2015 16:42 IST

During the course of ongoing verification of pensioners receiving Central freedom fighter pension through various Public Sector Banks, certain irregularities like disbursement of pension to more than 3,000 dead pensioners for many years after their death, payment of wrong amount of pension to many pensioners, disbursement of dependent family pension to ineligible dependants who are not covered under the scheme have come to the notice of the Government. The banks were directed to recover the excess/wrong payment made to the pensioners/dead pensioners and on account of recoveries banks have so far remitted Rs.45.00 crores to the Central Govt. account. As a corrective measure, revised guidelines for the disbursement of Central Samman pension have been issued. Central Pension Accounting Office(CPAO) of the Ministry of Finance has been asked to keep reimbursement to the banks on account of Central Samman Pension within the budgetary provision. A Pension Disbursement Monitoring Cell has been set up to verify/monitor the disbursement of Central Freedom Fighter Pension by various Public Sector Banks to the eligible pensioners.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply to a question by Shri Aayanur Manjunatha in the Rajya Sabha today.