674 Mizoram family pension beneficiaries surrender PPOs, govt expects Rs 15 crore annual savings

At least 674 beneficiaries drawing family pensions under the Mizoram government have surrendered their Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) during a three-month amnesty period for those receiving pensions through fraudulent or invalid documents, a state Finance Department official said on October 7.

The state government had opened a voluntary surrender window from July 1 to September 30, allowing ineligible beneficiaries to surrender their PPOs without having to refund pensions already received.

Of the 674 beneficiaries who surrendered their PPOs, 563 were receiving family pensions through the state exchequer, while 111 were receiving them through banks, the official said.

The government is estimated to save around Rs 1.25 crore every month, translating to more than Rs 15 crore annually, following the surrender of the PPOs, he said.

With the amnesty period now over, the government has launched a verification drive to identify cases where family pensions may still be drawn by ineligible beneficiaries.

A 13-member task force comprising 13 teams under five coordinators has been constituted for the exercise. District Treasury Officers will serve as team leaders, the official said.

Beneficiaries found to have received family pensions irregularly will be issued show-cause notices and given 15 days to explain their cases.

The verification exercise and related activities are scheduled to be completed by December 31, he said.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma had in July warned that beneficiaries found to have secured family pensions using forged or invalid documents would have their pensions discontinued and could face legal action.

The government has said fraudulent claims can involve documents such as birth, marriage, divorce, non-marriage, life and income certificates, ration cards and other supporting records.

Lalduhoma had also urged officials responsible for issuing such certificates to exercise greater vigilance and warned that action could be taken against officials found to have facilitated fraudulent claims.

Last month, the state government also sought the cooperation of churches across Mizoram to create awareness about the amnesty scheme and encourage ineligible beneficiaries to surrender their PPOs before the September 30 deadline.