A shocking case of fraud has surfaced in Agra’s health department involving government-run welfare schemes like the Janani Suraksha Yojana and the Women’s Sterilisation Incentive Programme.
Records astonishingly show that a single woman was registered as having delivered babies 25 times and undergone sterilisation procedures five times.
Under the National Health Mission (NHM), women in rural areas are entitled to Rs 1,400 and those in urban areas to Rs 1,000 for childbirth. Similarly, Rs 2,000 is provided for female sterilisation procedures. These amounts are directly transferred to the beneficiary’s bank account.
However, a startling case of fraud has emerged during the financial audit of the Fatehabad Community Health Centre in Agra. The audit revealed that a single woman was falsely shown to have given birth 25 times and undergone sterilisation five times, receiving a total of Rs 45,000 from the government. Suspicions have arisen about the involvement of doctors, nurses, and other staff at the health centre in this scam.
Reacting to the revelations, the Chief Medical Officer of Agra Dr Arun Srivastava said, “A team has been formed to investigate the matter. We are looking into whether this is a technical error or a deliberate manipulation. Strict action will follow based on the findings.”
The role of the superintendent of the Fatehabad Community Health Centre is also under scrutiny. Agra’s Chief Medical Officer has formed a special team to investigate the matter, and is personally overseeing the inquiry based on the audit findings. Following the revelations, officials have announced a thorough investigation. Across several institutions in Agra, including the Community Health Centre, Lady Lyall Women’s Hospital, and SS Medical College, suspicious payments totaling Rs 38.95 lakh have been identified. An official probe into these payments has been ordered.
This case has raised serious concerns about the transparency and accountability of healthcare schemes. Similar incidents have emerged in the past, where beneficiaries were falsely recorded to siphon off government incentives. In one case, a 60-year-old woman was listed as having delivered five times in just ten months. In another, a woman was registered as pregnant three times within four months. The Agra health department has faced scrutiny before. Earlier, authorities sealed multiple illegal abortion centres being run by unqualified individuals in the region. A health official familiar with the audit process remarked, “This is not just clerical error — it appears to be a well-planned racket to misuse funds meant for maternal health. Real beneficiaries are being sidelined.”
The latest revelations point toward systemic flaws in data monitoring and beneficiary verification. Experts are calling for a digital overhaul of records and third-party audits to prevent such abuses.
“Such irregularities not only waste public money but also undermine the credibility of life-saving schemes,” a public health expert added. The investigation is ongoing, and officials have promised that those found guilty will be held accountable.