Assam government's crackdown on ghost welfare beneficiaries bearing fruit

GUWAHATI: Assam government’s crackdown on ghost beneficiaries in the Social Welfare Department has started bearing fruits with the number of beneficiaries plummeting from nearly 44 lakh to 35 lakh thus giving a relief to the state exchequer to the tune of Rs. 150 crore annually.

According to state government, “Taking a strong note on the allegation of fraudulently and entering ghost names and siphoning off money from the Anganwadi Centres in the state, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered an inquiry and as a result the names of pregnant mothers and lactating children and children from six month to six years were detected and deleted.”

The government stated this startling revelation has come to light during a high level meeting of the Social Welfare Department held in chief minister’s conference room in Janata Bhawan on Friday. During the meeting chief minister Sonowal asked Principal Secretary Welfare Department Jishnu Baruah to fine-tune the functioning of the department including the Anganwadi Centres and provide nutrition to women and children who are predominantly from the underprivileged section of the society.


Sonowal also asked Principal Secretary Baruah to expeditiously complete the survey of the specially abled people in the state so that the State government’s decision of providing financial assistance of Rs. 12,000 each to every divyangjan at the rate of Rs. 1000 every month.

He also asked the Director Social Welfare Department S. S. Meenakshi Sundaram to set up skill development centres for the specially abled people for their capacity building.