Serious questions of negligence and possible collusion have emerged after it was found that government welfare funds in Himachal Pradesh were being released in the names of deceased persons and fake beneficiaries. The issue has once again exposed deep flaws in monitoring mechanisms meant to safeguard public money.
The irregularity came to light during a meeting of the task force committee formed for financial reforms. The committee chairman, senior IAS officer Abhishek Jain, took a serious view of the matter and termed it a financial irregularity that could no longer be ignored.
Officials informed the meeting that beneficiaries listed under the Sahara Yojana, the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme and other social security schemes were found to be deceased. Despite this, funds continued to be disbursed in their names, placing an avoidable burden on the state exchequer at a time when the government is already facing financial stress.
A review meeting at the state secretariat revealed that the problem was not limited to one department or one scheme. Pending funds under centrally sponsored schemes were also discussed, with emphasis on plugging loopholes that allow such misuse of public money to continue unchecked.
To prevent further leakages, the state government has decided to cross-verify beneficiary data with official birth and death records maintained by the Registrar General of India. The verification will be carried out using API-based technology and modern IT tools to ensure accuracy and speed.
The data-mapping exercise will be done in coordination with the Department of Digital Technology and Governance, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the Department of Health and Family Welfare and ESOMAC. After matching the records, verified lists will be sent to the concerned departments for immediate correction and action.
This is not an isolated case. Earlier, large-scale irregularities were detected in social security pension schemes in the state. As many as 42,867 beneficiaries were found to be either deceased or ineligible. The figure included 37,335 deceased persons and 5,532 ineligible beneficiaries who had continued to receive pensions for years.
Finance Secretary Abhishek Jain directed to take action against officers and employees responsible for the lapse. The latest revelations have renewed the debate on whether such cases are mere administrative negligence or point towards a deeper nexus within the system.
With welfare schemes meant for the poorest being misused, the focus is now on fixing accountability and ensuring that government benefits reach only genuine beneficiaries.
