Madras High Court orders recovery of money paid to ineligible beneficiaries

Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the state government to take steps to recover the amount, if any paid, to the ineligible beneficiaries under various welfare schemes between 2009 and 2013.

In his petition filed with the division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R.Mahadevan, Thangaraj submitted that the government has implemented various schemes to uplift the living standards of citizens and monthly stipends were given to them.

While so, K.P.S. Ilayaraja, who was the 16th ward member of Thiruverkadu municipality by misusing his official position has favoured his family members, relatives and friends to avail the old age pension, destitute woman’s pension, physically handicapped pension without following eligibility criteria as fixed by the government.

Since the authorities were not taking any action on his representations, he was compelled to approach the HC. In its order, the bench said the affidavit filed by the authorities, affirms that the amounts paid to the ineligible beneficiaries were sought to be recovered by passing orders under the Revenue Recovery Act on November 3, 2016, against 26 persons and to fix responsibility, charges were framed under Rule 17 (b) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Disciplinary and Appeal) Rules, against the delinquent officer on November 1, 2016.

“Special government pleader undertakes to the court both the processes will be concluded at the earliest, but not later than 6 months from today”.