ANANTAPUR: Allegations of pension fund misappropriation have surfaced in the undivided Anantapur district, implicating field-level officials in withholding money meant for beneficiaries.
In April 2020, during the pandemic, the government sanctioned Rs 1,300 crore to provide Rs 1,000 to each ration cardholder. A directive issued on April 2, 2020, mandated officials to disburse withheld pension amounts alongside the sanctioned sum. However, local officials, including Panchayat Secretaries and Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs), allegedly exploited the process. Beneficiaries were reportedly asked for fingerprint verification under the pretext of surveys, but the funds were misappropriated.
District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) records show that approximately Rs 2 crore in pension funds has been withheld since 2021. Although recent transfers of MPDOs and Panchayat Secretaries aimed to address the issue, efforts to identify the culprits remain inconclusive.
Notices issued to current MPDOs have met with denials, with many claiming they were not involved during the relevant period, further delaying the recovery process. The total pending amount across the district stands at Rs 97,56,173.
DRDA Project Directors Eshwarayya and Narasayya assured that reconciliation efforts are ongoing. “We are recovering funds month by month and ensuring accountability.”