Hyderabad: Barely days after unearthing ghost employees, the Telangana govt has stumbled upon another major fraud. More than 37,000 govt employees – ranging from contract and outsourced staff to regular and even senior officers – have been found drawing benefits from schemes meant exclusively for the poorest and most vulnerable.A recent social audit revealed that thousands of govt-linked employees are illegally availing benefits under multiple welfare schemes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), now renamed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), and the Indiramma housing.
The irregularities came to light after the govt collected Aadhaar details of all employees and cross-verified them with beneficiary databases of welfare schemes. Sources in the secretariat said the exercise may have only scratched the surface, with indications that many could be availing benefits from additional schemes as well.Among all programmes reviewed, the Cheyutha scheme – launched with much publicity by the govt – recorded the highest number of employee beneficiaries.The 37,000 employees across departments and categories identified as beneficiaries include anganwadi workers, accredited social health activists, home guards, village organisation assistants, village revenue assistants, priests and revenue officials. Significantly, the list also includes gazetted officers. The beneficiary list also features 47 postgraduate teachers and 71 secondary grade and trained graduate teachers, besides public health managers, lecturers, civil assistant surgeons and even judicial magistrates.In one major scheme alone, officials found 15,704 govt-linked employees whose details matched the beneficiary database. Of them, 8,273 were honorarium employees, followed by 3,202 outsourced workers and 2,939 contract staff.More alarmingly, 478 regular state govt employees and 338 grant-in-aid staff – all drawing full salaries from the govt – were also found to be receiving benefits. The list includes anganwadi teachers and helpers, ASHA workers, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), junior lecturers and data entry operators.The misuse was particularly stark in the employment guarantee scheme, which is intended to provide wage support to rural labourers unable to find work. Officials identified 11,210 govt employees as beneficiaries under the scheme. This included 7,077 honorarium staff, 2,214 contract workers and 1,124 outsourced employees. Even 351 regular govt employees were found claiming wages meant for rural labourers.The Indiramma housing scheme, too, showed extensive irregularities. Data revealed that 9,135 govt-linked employees had either received houses or it had been sanctioned. Of these, 5,177 were honorarium staff, 2,256 contract employees and 1,371 outsourced workers. Under the Indiramma Aathmeeya Bharosa scheme, another 1,444 employees benefited, largely comprising honorarium and contract staff.The report recommended that the govt immediately stop welfare benefits to regular employees drawing salaries under grant-in-aid, minimum time scale and state scale, as they are clearly ineligible under existing rules. A key policy decision is now pending on the eligibility of contract, outsourced, daily wage and honorarium staff. Since welfare schemes are linked to income criteria, the govt is expected to soon decide on whether these categories should be excluded.
