KATHMANDU, JULY 28

As many as 216 local levels distributed around Rs 65.4 million as social security allowance against two or more ID cards to same beneficiaries without removing the names of deceased persons from the records.

"A total of 216 local levels made dual payments to several beneficiaries who had similar citizenship numbers and date of birth. This indicates that the local levels in question did precious little to avoid duplication in distribution of social security allowance. Several beneficiaries were found to be possessing two or more ID cards and receiving dual payment of allowance," reads the annual report (2020-21), recently published by the OAG.

The local levels had also sent the amount to the bank accounts of beneficiaries who had already died. It is the duty and responsibility of the local levels to keep the records of beneficiaries up-to-date. The OAG has urged the government to make negligent officials accountable for the loss of state funds and recover the amount from them. The concerned local level provides ID cards in the prescribed format to persons entitled to social security allowance.

The identity of the guardian or caretaker of the person entitled to enjoy social security allowance is also mentioned in the identity card. The prevailing law requires the local units to review and update the records of identity cards.

Similarly, 127 local levels credited around Rs 587 million to the dormant bank accounts of the beneficiaries. "Each local level should receive the details of dormant accounts from the banks concerned twice a year (within mid-July and mid-January) in line with the Social Security Allowance Distribution Procedure, 2020. However, 127 local levels did not update the status of bank accounts of the beneficiaries and credited the amount to dormant accounts.

"The amount equivalent to Rs 587 million is still in the dormant accounts and should be forwarded to the federal consolidated fund," the OAG suggested. It also directed government authorities to make the distribution of social security allowance systematic by avoiding duplication and identifying fake beneficiaries.

Likewise, despite repeated instructions related to mandatory provision of distribution of social security allowance to beneficiaries only through banking channel, some local units have not complied. There are reports of theft, robbery and loss of social security amount due to distribution of cash in some local levels. In addition, various audit reports have also pointed out irregularities committed by employees of local governments as social security allowance was not distributed through banking channel.

As per the Department of National ID and Civil Registration, there were around 3,465,427 listed beneficiaries as of fiscal 2020-21. Senior citizens above 60 years (Dalit), single women, senior citizens above 70 years and senior citizens above 60 years of specified areas benefit from security allowance of Rs 2,690, Rs 2,690, Rs 4,000 and Rs 2,690 per month respectively. Differently-abled persons bearing red card and blue card get Rs 3,900 and Rs 2,690 respectively. Likewise, persons belonging to endangered ethnicity enjoy allowance of Rs 3,990.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 29, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.