VARANASI: Seventy-year-old Dungri Devi paid the price of refusing to bribe an official with her life, at least in government records.A resident of Piparia village in Chandauli district, Dungri is among 13 beneficiaries of various government schemes who were shown dead by social welfare department despite being hale and hearty .
The anomaly came to light when the beneficiaries stopped getting government pension. When they approached the social welfare department, officials told them that they were `dead'. Dungri Devi told the police that during the annual verification process a few months ago, she had refused to pay Rs 1,500 as bribe to village secretary Ajay Chaurasia due to her poor financial condition. She stopped get ting her monthly old age pension immediately after that.
"When she approached the bank, she was told to contact the social welfare department. That office said her name was on the list of villagers who had died last year," Chandauli SP Santosh Kumar Singh said.
Dungri Devi reached the SP's residence on Sunday and lodged a complaint. The police verified her documents and cross-checked her claims. More villagers who were shown dead in government records approached the police the same day .
The police have registered a case of cheating and under relevant sections of prevention of corruption act and SCST act against Chaurasia and Piparia village chief Paras Nath. After the FIR, district magistrate Hemant Kumar formed a three-member committee to investigate.The committee said the village secretary had recommended the removal of 22 beneficiaries from various government schemes who died in Piparia last year. Thirteen of them were still alive.
While Chaurasia was suspended and is currently on the run, the police are probing the role of village chief Paras Nath.
Kumar said the social welfare office has been told to re-include the name of Dungri Devi and 12 others in the list of beneficiaries.
The anomaly came to light when the beneficiaries stopped getting government pension. When they approached the social welfare department, officials told them that they were `dead'. Dungri Devi told the police that during the annual verification process a few months ago, she had refused to pay Rs 1,500 as bribe to village secretary Ajay Chaurasia due to her poor financial condition. She stopped get ting her monthly old age pension immediately after that.
"When she approached the bank, she was told to contact the social welfare department. That office said her name was on the list of villagers who had died last year," Chandauli SP Santosh Kumar Singh said.
Dungri Devi reached the SP's residence on Sunday and lodged a complaint. The police verified her documents and cross-checked her claims. More villagers who were shown dead in government records approached the police the same day .
The police have registered a case of cheating and under relevant sections of prevention of corruption act and SCST act against Chaurasia and Piparia village chief Paras Nath. After the FIR, district magistrate Hemant Kumar formed a three-member committee to investigate.The committee said the village secretary had recommended the removal of 22 beneficiaries from various government schemes who died in Piparia last year. Thirteen of them were still alive.
While Chaurasia was suspended and is currently on the run, the police are probing the role of village chief Paras Nath.
Kumar said the social welfare office has been told to re-include the name of Dungri Devi and 12 others in the list of beneficiaries.
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