Rs 6.5 cr recovered from deceased Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries

Mysuru: The department of women and child welfare has recovered nearly Rs 6.5 crore from deceased Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries in Mysuru.During a verification drive, officials found that 13,437 beneficiaries died after the scheme's launch. A total of 6.7 lakh beneficiaries were registered under the scheme in the district, of which 13,437 were identified as deceased.Following this, the dept initiated recovery proceedings and has so far recovered Rs 6.3 crore from 5,851 beneficiaries by accessing deposits in their bank accounts, officials stated.The drive is part of efforts to streamline beneficiary data and prevent wrongful disbursal under the scheme. Officials said further verification is under way to identify additional discrepancies and ensure that benefits reach only eligible recipients.The state govt has been providing a monthly incentive of Rs 2,000 to a woman head of a family since the launch of the scheme in Aug 2023, with the main intention of empowerment of women, elimination of poverty and highlighting the role of women in the family. The govt has also extended this benefit to sexual minorities across the state.The department of women and children welfare, which was entrusted with the responsibility of handling the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, so far released Rs 3,096 crore to nearly 6.7 lakh beneficiaries from the launch of the scheme in Mysuru district, till the end of Jan this year.As the department received complaints from Mysuru District Guarantee Implementation Committee members, banks, the public and other sources, that even dead beneficiaries are receiving the benefit, their kith and kin, who hold ATM cards and withdraw money from the ATM even after the death of the beneficiaries, the department has stepped up the drive, conducting the monthly verification, and found 5,851 beneficiaries account money withdrawn, even after their death.Speaking to TOI, district women and children development officer Basavaraju said that the department gave directions to all anganwadi staff to collect the details of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries who died in their limits, and report the same to their children development programme officer every month. The CDPO verifies such complaints and recommends their senior officers in the women and children welfare department to stop the release of incentives to dead beneficiaries, he said. Instructions are also given to banks to share information related to money deposited to dead beneficiaries bank account, and money withdrawn by the relatives of the deceased family members, in such cases.Banks also review beneficiaries list every month to ensure funds are not credited into the accounts of the beneficiary who has died. The govt has also authorised banks to recover such amounts, said Basavaraju.District guarantee implementation committee chairman Arunkumar said that the committee reviews the implementation of guarantee schemes every month with the officials concerned, initiating measures so that the benefits reach genuine beneficiaries. In case of the death of the woman head of their family, then the benefit will be extended to the other woman head of the same family, but benefits extended to the deceased beneficiary cannot be utilised by others, he stated.A total of 6.7 lakh beneficiaries were registered under the scheme in the district, of which 13,437 were identified as deceased.Gruha Lakshmi scheme, so far released Rs 3,096 crore to nearly 6.7 lakh beneficiaries from the launch of the scheme in Mysuru district.
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