Bengal man files 94 applications just to seek Rs 2,500

The man had filed applications from different locations using one bank account for Jharkhand government's flagship scheme JMMSY

Bokaro: A person from West Bengal was found to have submitted as many as 94 applications for Jharkhand government’s Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana (JMMSY) from different locations using one bank account to hoodwink authorities, officials said on Friday.

JMMSY is a flagship scheme of the Jharkhand government under which the State government provides financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month to about 56 lakh women in the age group of 18-50 years. The JMMSY has been widely credited for bolstering the INDIA bloc’s electoral success in Jharkhand.

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Launched in August last year, the scheme initially provided Rs 1,000 to women aged 18-50 years and the ruling JMM-led alliance announced to increase the amount to Rs 2,500 per month just before the assembly elections.

“Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Jadhav Vijaya Rao exposed attempts to fraudulently get the benefit of JMMSY and has ordered that FIRs be registered against applicants including one from West Bengal who filed as many as 94 applications from a single account at different locations,” an official said.

The official said the scheme, launched by the Jharkhand government, aims to empower women by providing financial assistance, but investigations revealed fraudulent activities aimed at exploiting its benefits.

“One Yusuf from West Bengal had registered 94 applications under different names for the JMMSY using a single bank account. These applications, which were submitted from various blocks across the district, raised suspicions during a routine physical verification process,” the official said.

Out of these, 49 applications were filed from Chandankiyari, 20 from Kasmar, 12 from Bermo and 7 from Gomia,” as per Bokaro DC who said apart from this 78 applications were filed by a person again hailing from West Bengal under different names using a single bank account opened in August 2024.

The ration card numbers listed on these applications were also found to be fake by the District Supply Officer. The fraudulent applications bore surnames such as Kisku, Hansda, and Murmu, commonly found in Jharkhand. Besides 11,200 duplicate applications were also detected in the process of verification.