VACB finds widespread irregularities in 78 offices of 16 welfare boards in Keralam

Thiruvananthapuram, The VACB has detected widespread irregularities, including alleged diversion of welfare fund contributions, fraudulent pension payments and financial misappropriation, during statewide surprise inspections at 78 offices of 16 welfare boards in Keralam, officials said on Friday.VACB finds widespread irregularities in 78 offices of 16 welfare boards in KeralamAccording to a statement by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau , the inspections were conducted on Thursday under 'Operation Welfare Fund' at the direction of its Director, Manoj Abraham, following information about corruption, irregularities, and financial misuse in welfare boards functioning under the Labour Department.The inspections began at 10.30 am and covered selected offices of 16 welfare boards across various districts.The VACB found that contributions collected from workers and employers were not being deposited into the respective welfare funds on time by certain officials, who allegedly misappropriated the money, the statement said.There were also instances of pensions and other benefits being sanctioned to ineligible persons on the basis of forged documents, allegedly after accepting illegal gratification.In some cases, pension payments continued in the names of deceased beneficiaries after changes were made to their bank account details, the VACB said.The inspections also revealed that pensions were being disbursed to deceased members without taking steps to recover the amounts, while in several cases, records showed that financial assistance had been sanctioned to beneficiaries who later told VACB officials that they had not received the money, the agency said.The VACB is examining whether officials had misappropriated these amounts.In several offices, contributions had not been deposited in banks regularly, while the actual bank balance was lower than the amount recorded in official registers. Most offices were also found to have failed to properly maintain registers, including contribution receipt books and cash books, the statement said.The VACB further found instances of temporary employees being appointed without following prescribed norms and pensions being sanctioned to members who had outstanding liabilities, including loans, without settling them, officials said.In some welfare boards, officials had failed to collect the mandatory employer contributions, resulting in additional financial liabilities for the boards. Pensions were also sanctioned to certain members without proper orders authorising the payments, the agency said.The VACB said irregularities were detected at the Kerala Cashew Workers Welfare Fund Board in Kollam, Kerala Toddy Workers Welfare Fund Board in Alappuzha, Kerala Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund Board in Idukki and Ernakulam, Kerala Motor Transport Workers Welfare Fund Board and Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Workers Welfare Fund Board in Idukki.Further irregularities were detected at the Kerala Jewellery Workers Welfare Fund Board in Thrissur, Motor Transport Workers Welfare Fund Board in Palakkad, Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund Board in Malappuram and Wayanad, Shops and Commercial Establishments Workers Welfare Fund Board in Kozhikode, Handloom Workers Welfare Fund Board in Kannur and Headload Workers Welfare Fund Board in Kasaragod.VACB Director Abraham said the bureau viewed seriously the tendency of officials in welfare boards, established to ensure social security and financial stability for workers, to engage in irregularities and financial misuse at the expense of workers' interests.He said detailed follow-up investigations would be conducted into the irregularities detected during the inspections and strict legal action would be initiated against those responsible.The VACB would also introduce stronger monitoring mechanisms and follow-up inspections to ensure transparency in the functioning of welfare boards and prevent corruption and irregularities, he said.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.