Surrender fraudulent pension orders by Sep 30 or face action: Mizoram CM

Aizawl, Jul 15 (PTI) Those drawing family pensions fraudulently must surrender their pension orders during a three-month amnesty period announced by the government or face legal action, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Wednesday. The government has announced a scheme allowing ineligible family pension beneficiaries to surrender their annuity orders between July 1 and September 30 without having to refund the money already received. Launching a statewide "Sensitisation of Voluntary Surrender of Pension Payment Order" programme here, Lalduhoma said the government is determined to eliminate misuse of public funds while ensuring genuine pensioners continue to receive benefits smoothly. He warned that once the amnesty period ends, a government-appointed task force will conduct comprehensive field verification of all family pension beneficiaries. Anyone found to have secured family pensions using forged or invalid documents will have their pension discontinued and face legal proceedings, Lalduhoma said. He said that fraudulent pension claims are often supported by forged birth, marriage, divorce, life and income certificates, ration cards and other such documents. The chief minister cautioned authorities responsible for issuing such certificates to exercise utmost caution, adding that legal action could also be initiated against officials found involved in issuing fraudulent documents. Lalduhoma reiterated the government's commitment to improving pension administration, noting that inadequate training of officials handling pension files often delays processing of pension. To address this, the government will set up a dedicated training wing for officials dealing with pension matters, he said. Adviser to the Chief Minister (Finance & Planning) and MLA TBC Lalvenchhunga said pension payments now constitute the largest component of the state's revenue expenditure. While the government remains committed to supporting all eligible beneficiaries, fraudulent claims would not be tolerated, he said. According to official data, 39,954 people receive pensions from the Mizoram government. This includes 22,139 superannuation pensioners, 11,194 family pension beneficiaries, 5,629 pensioners under the Centralised Pension Processing Centre, 594 voluntary retirement pensioners, 289 Voluntary Retirement Scheme pensioners, 69 invalid pension beneficiaries, and 40 compulsory retirement pensioners. PTI COR NSD