TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Benefits under Dayanand Social Security Scheme will now be linked to Aadhaar Card from April month onwards, to avoid forgery. Government sources confirmed that more than 1.16 lakh beneficiaries who are already registered with the social welfare department and those applying afresh, are asked to submit Aadhar Card details.
“The new directive is to avoid duplication or forgery. It will also ensure that the benefit is not going in the name of beneficiary who is dead. These instances have happened in the past, and were unearthed. Each individual will be identified through this unique identification,” said the source.
The Aadhar details of the DSSS beneficiaries in South Goa will be recorded by the officials of the planning and statistics department, who are already conducting a survey to find the illegal beneficiaries who have exhausted funds allotted to the scheme.
“Beneficiaries in the North Goa district will have to abide by this,” the official added.
Government inspection a year back had exposed hundreds of fraudsters including 14 government servants illegally benefiting from the scheme. While the guilty government servants are asked to refund the amount with eight percent interest, names of other illegal beneficiaries were cancelled.
The 2012-13 budget presented by the Manohar Parrikar government increased the DSSS remuneration from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000.
