A beneficiary receives the biometric card from minister Badri Narayan Patro (second from right) and mayor Ananta Narayan Jena (third from right) in Bhubaneswar (file picture)

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 13: Steps taken by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to strike out fake names from the list of beneficiaries receiving pension under state and Centre-sponsored schemes have produced results.

Sources said that so far 2,286 fake beneficiaries have been identified. There are over 11,000 beneficiaries receiving pension through the BMC.

While many officials at BMC are welcoming the results saying the findings will expose involvement of many insiders in having fake names inserted in the list of beneficiaries, some say the projection of such a large number of fake beneficiaries cannot be a practical reality.

“There are several pension schemes, so when a person has an account number for one scheme, the same account number can also be given to another person for a totally different scheme. However, as the number is the same the computer might show the transaction as ‘fake’ or ‘doubtful’. In other instances, if a person has changed his preference to receive the pension after re-organisation of the wards, the computer might show the same person in the earlier ward as fake,” said an official of the BMC Slum Improvement wing.

“Each beneficiary is issued a yellow-coloured pension booklet. After every transaction the signature of the issuing authority is also given at a designated place. If a person cannot receive the money without the booklet, how can there be duplication?” he asked.

However, an official, who did not want to be named, said: “There are instances in which a single person was found receiving pension from three centres. If pension booklet norms are being followed properly, how is it that people who were dead drew pensions even last year?”

“The biometric card was begun to weed out fakes, as it uses fingerprints,” he added. BMC began the exercise last year. The smart cards were introduced not only in the pension distribution process, but for having bank accounts as well. The biometric smart cards scanned digital images of the fingerprints of users, so that transactions may be detected by the software installed in the computer network. Through the smart cards, money can be distributed to beneficiaries of a particular locality through an electronic vending machine, thereby minimising the risk of loss of cash by senior citizens.

At present, pension holders who live within BMC limits receive their dues under three categories — old age pension, widow pension and disability pension. The civic authorities have to distribute Rs 22 lakh per month. The identification of fake IDs after proper scrutiny would save Rs 4 lakh per month for the civic body.

Apart from the risk-free distribution, the use of smart cards also help in saving the time of BMC officials engaged in welfare activities and ward councillors, as their presence was needed earlier on the day of the distribution of the pension. The use of smart cards is also going to take into account people suffering from HIV and AIDS as they are included in a state government-sponsored pension scheme. The BMC started distribution of smart cards on April 29. The housing and urban development minister had launched the cards at the BMC office. However, sources said that till date more than 6,000 cards have already been distributed and the rest would be distributed after detailed scrutiny. While the payment through smart cards has been affected for the 6,000-plus card-holders, the rest are receiving payment manually.