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Govt Modifies Pension Scheme For Widows

In An Effort To Make It More Foolproof, Excludes Divorcees, Destitute Women From Scheme

Bashir Pathan, Expressindia

Gandhinagar, India

July 13, 2004

Following large-scale irregularities in the implementation of its Widow Pension Scheme, the state government has effected certain changes in it making it more foolproof.

The government was forced to modify the welfare scheme being implemented since 1979 in the state after the Woman and Child Development Department, during a recent statewide survey, detected over 27,000 fake beneficiaries. ‘‘There were a total of over 1.33 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme, as of on March 31, 2003, out of which 27,000 were found to be claiming the monthly pension of Rs 500 on false documents. Now that these fake beneficiaries have been excluded, the government will be able to save about Rs 16 crore per year,’’ Secretary (Woman and Child Development) S C Sanehi told Express Newsline on Tuesday.

One of the significant changes effected is that the Directorate of Social Defence has been divested of powers of implementing the monthly pension scheme for widows. It has now been vested in the Revenue Department with deputy collectors in all the districts being asked to ensure its effective implementation.

It has also been decided to keep divorcees and destitutes (women separated from their husbands but not divorced) out of the purview of the scheme. They include about 21,000 divorcees and destitute women. With their exclusion from the scheme, the government would be able to save another Rs 12 crore a year. ‘‘These people are entitled to get under the existing laws the maintenance and other remedies from their husbands. Hence, we have taken this decision,’’ he explained.

Under the original scheme, each of the widows, divorcees and destitute women was provided a monthly pension Rs 500, besides Rs 160 a month for two children. Now, only widows will be covered under the modified scheme.

Renamed as the ‘Rehabilitation Scheme for Widows’, it is now mandatory for each of the beneficiaries to undergo training in one of the government-recognised trades. After the training and availing of two years of the pension benefits, they will be provided Rs 3,000 as margin money loan to ensure their self-employment. This modification has been made to ensure a life of dignity for the widows, the official said.

It will also be compulsory for widows to obtain a certificate from either the mamlatdar or taluka development officer that they have not remarried and that they are alive.

The application for the scheme will have to be made within one year of the death of their husband.

The deputy collector concerned has been empowered to initiate legal action and recover money from beneficiaries if the pension is found to have been claimed on false documents.

P H Sarvakar, Jt Secretary (Woman and Child Development), said the maximum number of fake beneficiaries (about 4,000) had been detected in the Panchamahals and Dahod districts. Till now, the government has recovered over Rs 19 lakh from as many as 643 beneficiaries.

At present, Ahmedabad accounts for the highest number of widows with 17,568 beneficiaries covered under the pension scheme, followed by the Panchamahals (7,776), Surat (6,900) and Vadodara (6,836).

There are a total of 10,897 divorcees in the state (all dropped from the scheme), with Ahmedabad accounting for the highest number of 2,219, followed by the Panchmahals (1,565), Rajkot (1,031), Navsari (846) and Surat (704), Sarvakar said.