Karnataka Government Suspends Pensions of Over 16 Lakh Account

Bengaluru: Following intense revisions to guarantee schemes like ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ and ‘Gruha Jyothi’, the Karnataka Revenue Department has initiated a major overhaul to weed out ineligible beneficiaries under various social security pension schemes.

The state government has temporarily suspended the monthly pensions of over 16.42 lakh individuals caught using fraudulent documents or violating eligibility criteria. Currently, Karnataka has over 83.11 lakh beneficiaries receiving old age, widow, and disability pensions.

However, a preliminary departmental audit raised red flags regarding 23.13 lakh suspicious accounts. To verify authenticity, Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) were deployed to conduct a tech-driven field inspection using the ‘Samyojane App.’

The special joint verification exposed massive discrepancies, including fake documentation, falsified age records, missing income certificates, and thousands of individuals not residing at their registered addresses. Consequently, pensions for exactly 16,42,303 people were immediately put on hold to maintain transparency.

Meanwhile, 3.35 lakh accounts with verified documents were deemed completely secure and received their payouts regularly for May. Addressing the concerns of affected citizens, the Joint Director of the Revenue Department stated that a final window of opportunity would be provided.

The respective Tahsildars will soon dispatch official notices to all individuals whose pensions have been suspended. Affected citizens must submit their original age, income, and residential proofs within 30 days of receiving the notice. The Revenue Department clarified that monthly pensions will only be restored after a successful re-verification of these authentic documents.