Over 12K couples submit fake divorce papers to get BPL status
In Haryana, the lure of attaining below the poverty line (BPL) status seems to be driving people to extreme measures. An inquiry in Jhajjar district revealed that over 12,000 couples submitted fake divorce documents to manipulate income records in the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) to meet the income threshold required for BPL classification.
A large-scale fraud involving the issuance of PPP has been unearthed. Police investigations revealed that the network of this scam extended as far as Nuh. Jhajjar Cyber Police Station has arrested seven persons, including the district manager of the Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID), Yogesh Kumar, besides service providers Amit Kumar, Sikander, Vikash, and Geeta Rani in Jhajjar, and Neeraj Kumar and Mohmmad Saif from Nuh district.
They are accused of tampering with district codes and manipulating family identification records to create fake PPP documents. Cyber Police Station SHO Ajay Kumar confirmed that the police had registered a case under the BNS and the Prevention of Corruption Act. He said investigations were going on and the scam had inter-district ramifications.
According to the probe, manipulation was carried out to falsely lower the income of thousands of families, making them eligible for various government welfare schemes. Around 12,600 couples obtained fake divorces as a tactic to reduce their declared income. Those who benefited from the fraud hail from Jhajjar, Rohtak, and Sirsa.
“The police have submitted a chargesheet against five of the accused, and another supplementary chargesheet is likely to be submitted before the court. The chargesheet against Neeraj Kumar and Mohmmad Saif would also be prepared soon,” the SHO informed. He said they were compiling details about the benefits taken by such people.
Dr Satish Khola, state coordinator, CRID, informed that all accused hired on a contractual basis had been removed from service. A departmental inquiry was also underway.
An official probing the matter told ‘The Tribune’ that about 12,600 PPPs (family IDs) had been tampered with by furnishing false documents.
Sources revealed that the fraud was estimated to have caused government losses amounting to Rs 100 crore, as beneficiaries received benefits from multiple departments under BPL schemes. The accused charged hefty fee to commit the fraud and secure BPL status for families.
As per the state government data, about 70% of Haryana’s population is bracketed as BPL, apparently due to large numbers of families underreporting their income. The latest data from the Aadhaar-enabled Public Distribution System of the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department showed that the state has 1,97,20,071 people living below the poverty line. Haryana has a population of about 2.8 crore.
Beneficiaries receive 5 kg grain (wheat or bajra) per person free of cost, 2 litres of mustard oil at Rs 40, and 1 kg sugar at Rs 13.5 per BPL card. Additionally, there are several schemes designed for BPL families. Recently, the CM announced the allotment of 100 sq yard plots to BPL families. Various schemes under the Labour Department and Social Welfare Department also provide direct financial aid to BPL families.
2 separate family IDs created
“Couples submitted blank papers as divorce documents into the online system through the Common Service Centres. The district manager of CRID authenticated these as valid divorce documents. Thus, two separate family IDs were created, splitting the couple’s income to below Rs 1.80 lakh per annum, qualifying both for BPL status.” — An official
Haryana Tribune