An investigation has been launched into claims that four medical boards in the B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district issued fictitious disability certificates, enabling 307 people to falsely apply for monthly pensions. The investigation was requested by R. Mahesh Kumar, the district collector, in response to findings from an official investigation carried out by five medical teams.
Medical boards are able to grant certificates of disability under the State government’s system, which serves as the foundation for giving qualified people financial aid. There are two pension categories: ₹6,000 for people with moderate disability and ₹15,000 for people who are totally bedridden. For people who suffer from serious physical limitations that prevent them from working, these pensions offer vital financial help.
In this instance, however, 281 of the 668 people in the district receiving disability benefits were discovered to have gotten complete disability certificates, enabling them to collect the ₹15,000 pension. These 281 people were only qualified for the ₹6,000 partial disability compensation, according to an investigation. Additionally, the investigation turned up 26 people who claimed total disability but were determined to be ineligible for any kind of disability pension.
Over the course of a month-long inquiry, specially designated medical teams discovered this fraudulent activities. The medical boards in Rajole, Amalapuram, Rajamahendravaram, and Kakinada provided the forged certificates, which allowed people to claim larger benefits than they were legally entitled to. The district administration has started to revoke the disability benefits of the 26 people who were determined to be completely ineligible as a result of the false claims.
Mahesh Kumar, the collector, stressed that a comprehensive investigation will be conducted to hold the medical boards responsible for granting these phony certifications. The doctors engaged in this malpractice will be subject to severe consequences because these fraud cases contradict the goal of the disability pension program, which is to support the truly disabled.
The district administration has requested more action from higher authorities by submitting a report on the investigation’s results. A group of district representatives, comprising the medical officers and the District Hospital Services Coordinator, have been directed to submit a thorough report on the contributions made by the four medical boards. This case emphasizes the continuous requirement for stringent control in government assistance programs to guarantee that benefits are received by the eligible population and that the number of false claims is kept to a minimum.
SOURCE :
THE HINDU
