Punjab recovers Rs 170 crore from pension fraud

Punjab Social Security Minister Baljit Kaur on Tuesday said her department recovered a sum of Rs 170 crore, which was being credited into the accounts of dead beneficiaries under the old age scheme.

Addressing the media here, Kaur said over 23.62 lakh eligible elderly beneficiaries under the old age pension scheme are getting Rs 1,500 per month in a transparent manner.

She said her department has deleted accounts of dead beneficiaries under this scheme. “We recovered a sum of Rs 170 crore, which were going into the accounts of dead beneficiaries,” she said, adding regular monitoring of the scheme is being undertaken.

Sharing details of works done by Social Security, Women and Child Development, Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities departments in the last four years, the minister had said that a sum of Rs 3,806 crore was released under the old age pension scheme during 2025-26. The minister also said that two old-age homes have been set up in Tapa and Mansa at an outlay of Rs 17.33 crore.

She further said her department also disbursed Rs 11.43 crore of grants to social organisations which were running ‘ashrams’ for the elderly in the State.

She said the State Government has been providing free bus service to women and also said that a sum of Rs 2,042 crore has been spent in this regard.

Besides, five hostels for working women are being set up in three districts — three in Mohali and one each in Amritsar and Jalandhar. There will also be a creche facility for the children of women in these hostels, she said.

These hostels, which will come up with an expenditure of Rs 150 crore, will be ready this year, she further said.

She said her department recruited 4,377 anganwadi workers and helpers in 2023.

At present, the recruitment of 6,110 more anganwadi workers and helpers is underway, she said.

The minister further said around 1,000 new anganwadi centres have been set up in the State and 350 anganwadi centres have been renovated.

The minister also stated that under the Jeewanjyot project, her department rescued many children involved in begging.

She also said that in the past four years, her department took many steps to prevent child marriages in the State and successfully prevented around 150 child marriage cases.