Bihar Pension Scam: 15-Year-Old Boy Draws Vriddha Pension Meant For Senior Citizens

In a strange incident, a 15-year-old boy in Bihar was found receiving a government pension that is actually meant for senior citizens. The anomaly was uncovered during a recent social audit in the Muzaffarpur, Aurangabad district. This scam has brought attention to the loopholes in the state’s welfare schemes and the need for better checks in the system.

Incidentally, a similar case was reported earlier from Muzaffarpur, where a woman named Shivani Devi, born in January, 2000 was recorded as a senior citizen born in February 1959. She was receiving a monthly pension from the state government as senior citizens. In both these cases, the youngsters were found enrolled under Vriddha pension scheme, a pension scheme meant for senior citizens.

How the Case Came to Light

The incident involving the 15-year-old boy, Ajay Kumar, came to light during a routine audit by the district administration. Authorities found that the young boy, who is a student, was receiving Rs 1,000 per month under the “Vriddha Pension Yojana”, a scheme meant only for people aged 60 years and above.

According to officials, the pension was being deposited into his bank account regularly, and he had already received the benefit for several months before it was flagged. The boy was caught red-handed when he went to submit his birth certificate, and his biometrics were matched with a man registered as a 70-years old senior citizen. However, the woman, Shivani, was caught when her fingerprints were matched by an official who was checking for an anomaly in the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system through which she was receiving monthly payments.

What Went Wrong?

Initial investigations reveal that the mistake happened due to an incorrect data entry. The Aadhaar details of both the youngsters were either entered wrongly or tampered with.

Officials suspect that the application was submitted without proper verification which officials failed to cross-check the age before approving the pension. The system is supposed to reject applications if the beneficiary is not eligible, but that didn’t happen in this case.

Government Response

District officials have now launched a detailed inquiry into the matter. The social welfare department is also checking if similar mistakes have happened elsewhere in the state.

A senior official from Aurangabad district said, “This is a serious issue. We have stopped the boy’s pension and are trying to trace how such a young person was added to the senior citizen beneficiary list.”

The department has promised strict action against anyone found guilty of negligence or fraud, according to the Deccan Herald.

Need for Stronger Checks

This case has highlighted the urgent need for better data management and verification processes. Though technology like Aadhaar linking and biometric verification is already in place, incorrect data entry or data tampering could lead to such instances of denial of pension to right claimants and siphoning of the same by scamsters.

Experts believe that more audits and stricter punishments for false claims now need to be made and there needs to be increased awareness among citizens to help improve the system to prevent misuse of public funds and better monitoring of welfare schemes.