Photo Courtesy: nenow
Aizawl: Mizoram officials are calling on local churches to expose pension fraud. They want congregations to spread the word about a three-month amnesty window ending September 30. This program targets people holding invalid Pension Payment Orders. It is a crackdown on systemic theft.
The government sent a letter to church leaders last week. It asked them to share a June 16 memorandum regarding the voluntary surrender process. The state wants to purge ineligible claims from its rolls. Failure to comply will invite a stiff, state-led investigation. "As we are a Christian state, and as it is the responsibility of church members to abide by government laws and regulations, we request the cooperation of the churches in this matter," the letter stated.
The amnesty window began on July 1. Those who surrender their PPOs before the deadline avoid refunding past payments. After September 30, a task force will start verifying every beneficiary. People caught with forged documents will face prosecution under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Authorities may also prosecute the officials who issued the fake paperwork.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma kicked off the sensitization campaign in Aizawl this July. He remains firm on stopping the drain of public funds. Ineligible groups include those who remarried, government employees drawing parent pensions, and anyone with a monthly income over Rs 12,702. This threshold covers the Rs 8,700 minimum pension plus Dearness Relief. Fraudsters using fake marriage, divorce, or life certificates are specifically in the crosshairs.
Mizoram currently supports 39,954 total pensioners. Of that figure, 11,194 are family pension recipients. Beneficiaries must head to their local Treasury Office to return their documents. Many have already surrendered their PPOs since the program began.
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