Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has identified over 13,000 bogus beneficiaries under the Dayanand Social Security (DSS) scheme, recovering nearly ₹50 crore in the process, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldessai said.
Speaking to reporters, Phaldessai said an extensive verification survey revealed widespread irregularities in the flagship social welfare programme.
“Either the beneficiary was dead but the scheme payments continued, or the person was residing outside Goa and only visiting occasionally to withdraw the money,” the minister explained.
The survey team physically verified addresses and found several cases where ineligible people, including those with incomes above the eligibility limit, continued receiving the benefit.
“Many people were not even living here, and in other cases, the families continued to take money even after the death of the original beneficiary,” Phaldessai said.
The Social Welfare Department has recovered close to ₹50 crore so far as part of its ongoing clean-up exercise. The government has also warned that further action will be taken to remove all ineligible beneficiaries and ensure only genuine recipients receive DSS assistance.
The Dayanand Social Security scheme is meant to provide financial support to senior citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities in Goa.
