Panaji: The Goa government has recovered over ₹50 crore after identifying and removing more than 13,000 ineligible beneficiaries from a state-run social welfare scheme, officials said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference at Mantralaya in Porvorim, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai said a detailed survey revealed that several beneficiaries were either deceased, had migrated out of the state, or were earning above the prescribed income limit of Rs 1.4 lakh per annum.
“During the survey, our field staff visited homes and even spoke to neighbours to verify details. We found over 13,000 bogus beneficiaries—either deceased or no longer residing in Goa,” Phal Desai said.
He added that the fraudulent disbursal of funds had been ongoing for years, resulting in significant losses to the state exchequer. “Till date, we have recovered more than ₹50 crore from these individuals. The clean-up has also led to monthly savings of ₹2.5 crore for the department,” he said.