Thiruvananthapuram, The VACB has detected widespread irregularities, including alleged diversion of welfare fund contributions, fraudulent pension payments and financial misappropriation, during statewide surprise inspections at 78 offices of 16 welfare boards in Keralam, officials said on Friday.
The inspections also revealed that pensions were being disbursed to deceased members without taking steps to recover the amounts, while in several cases, records showed that financial assistance had been sanctioned to beneficiaries who later told VACB officials that they had not received the money, the agency said. In several offices, contributions had not been deposited in banks regularly, while the actual bank balance was lower than the amount recorded in official registers.
The VACB found that contributions collected from workers and employers were not being deposited into the respective welfare funds on time by certain officials, who allegedly misappropriated the money, the statement said. In some cases, pension payments continued in the names of deceased beneficiaries after changes were made to their bank account details, the VACB said. Most offices were also found to have failed to properly maintain registers, including contribution receipt books and cash books, the statement said. The VACB further found instances of temporary employees being appointed without following prescribed norms and pensions being sanctioned to members who had outstanding liabilities, including loans, without settling them, officials said. VACB Director Abraham said the bureau viewed seriously the tendency of officials in welfare boards, established to ensure social security and financial stability for workers, to engage in irregularities and financial misuse at the expense of workers’ interests.
The inspections were conducted on Thursday under ‘Operation Welfare Fund’ at the direction of its Director, Manoj Abraham, following information about corruption, irregularities, and financial misuse in welfare boards functioning under the Labour Department, according to a statement by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau .
