Aizawl, July 15: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has appealed to individuals receiving family pensions through fraudulent or invalid documents to voluntarily surrender their Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) during a designated “voluntary surrender window.”
He warned that strict legal action would be taken against those found guilty after investigations.
On Wednesday, the Finance Department of the Mizoram government launched a statewide program to raise awareness about voluntarily surrendering PPOs. The initiative aims to assist individuals who are fraudulently receiving family pensions based on invalid documents.
During the program, the Chief Minister stated that after the surrender deadline, a government task force will conduct a thorough field investigation of all family pension beneficiaries. He cautioned that those found illegally receiving family pensions would have their pensions terminated and face legal consequences.
Expressing concern over the misuse of the family pension system, the Chief Minister noted that while some individuals have deliberately used fake documents to obtain pensions, others may have done so unknowingly. He emphasized the government’s commitment to eliminating such misuse of public funds.
As an initial step, the government has set a three-month period during which individuals illegally receiving family pensions are encouraged to surrender their PPOs. Lalduhoma mentioned that those who comply within the specified timeframe would not be required to return previously received pensions, as the government would waive the recovery of those amounts.
The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that all pensioners receive their pensions and family pension benefits in a smooth, timely, and transparent manner.
He acknowledged that significant efforts have already been made to streamline the pension system, noting that delays in pension processing often arise from insufficient training of officials handling pension files across various offices.
He also expressed deep respect for retired employees who dedicated their best years to serving the state.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister pointed out that fraudulent claims for family pensions are often supported by counterfeit documents. He warned that if any discrepancies are found in birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, unmarried status certificates, life certificates, income certificates, ration cards, or any other documents submitted for family pensions, the government will conduct a thorough investigation.
Officials responsible for issuing such documents have been urged to exercise extreme caution, and legal action may be taken against them if necessary.
Currently, there are 39,954 beneficiaries receiving pensions under the Mizoram government. This includes 22,139 superannuation pensioners, 11,194 family pensioners, 5,629 pensioners receiving pensions through the Centralized Pension Processing Center (CPPC), 594 voluntary retirement pensioners, 289 pensioners under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), 69 invalid pensioners, and 40 pensioners under compulsory retirement.
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