Health Dept reveals details of 373 employees who received welfare pension illegally

Thiruvananthapuram: The Health Department has released the names and details of 373 ineligible employees who received monthly welfare pensions (social security pensions). The additional chief secretary's order directed the recovery of the funds along with an 18 per cent interest and instructed a departmental investigation into the matter. The order mandates that a report be submitted to the government urgently.

The list includes employees under the designation, such as nursing assistants, clerks, pharmacists, upper-division typists, junior laboratory assistants, and housekeepers. A recent inspection revealed that 1,458 government employees, including gazetted officers, received social security pensions despite being ineligible. The irregularities were uncovered during an inspection conducted by the Information Kerala Mission following an audit by the finance department.

Significant discrepancies were identified within the Kottakkal Municipality in Malappuram, where some pension recipients were found to own BMW cars and reside in air-conditioned homes. In light of these findings, the state government issued an order on December 12 instructing local bodies to recover the misappropriated pension funds with 18 per cent interest. Officials found complicit in the illegal disbursement of funds will also face departmental action.

The Kerala government has established stringent eligibility criteria for welfare pension schemes to ensure these benefits reach those in need. Eligibility requirements include a family income of less than Rs 1 lakh per annum, no ownership of luxury assets such as high-capacity vehicles or large modern homes, and non-receipt of multiple pensions. Individuals paying income tax or residing in care homes are also deemed ineligible.