Some labourers who are very much alive and working have been listed as dead to siphon off government money from a scheme in Madhya Pradesh, documents seen by NDTV show.

The Madhya Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board gives Rs 2 lakh for funeral arrangement to families if a labourer dies at work or in an accident. Compensation is also given if a registered labourer suffers permanent or partial temporary disability due to a work-related accident.

Many labourers who are still working in the state capital Bhopal, however, have been found to be listed as “dead” on paper, the documents show. Some officials opened fake bank accounts in the names of these workers and made themselves nominees, after which the Rs 2 lakh aid was transferred.

Registered workers in every municipal body in Madhya Pradesh are eligible for this financial assistance.

Of 118 cases, 11 were of labourers who are alive.

Urmila Raikwar, who feeds a family of 12 members, some of them vegetable sellers in Bhopal’s Chandbad neighbourhood, was shocked to see her name in the list of “dead” workers.

Documents seen by NDTV show Ms Raikwar “died” in June 2023 and her family received Rs 2 lakh. Not only this, the nominee was also in her own name.

“This paper says I am dead, and got Rs 2 lakh. But am alive, of course. I haven’t got any money. It’s surprising that even after my death on paper, my children should have got the money. They killed me bhaiya,” says Ms Raikwar.

There are countless other workers who don’t know they are dead in the records kept for financial aid to their families.

Mohammad Qamar, who lives 3 km away from Chandbad, was also listed as “dead” and the money was released on June 21, 2023 to a nominee who has the same name.

“These papers say I am dead, that I have taken the money. The absurdity of a dead person being the nominee aside, I am actually standing here. Am surprised and shocked. I will file a report about these irregularities,” says Mr Qamar.

The welfare board also gives an assistance of Rs 51,000 for marriage. Mr Qamar says he applied for it for his daughter a few years ago, but never got a rupee. “We get an assistance of Rs 51,000 from this card,” he says, showing the card of a registered worker. “But I didn’t get it. This is very sad. I can’t give my documents to anyone now. I don’t trust anyone with my documents,” he says.

And then there are genuine cases of labourers who died in work-related accidents, but their families never got the money.

Leelabai, a resident of Bhopal’s Jahangirabad neighbourhood, says someone withdrew the Rs 2 lakh she was meant to get after her daughter, who was a registered worker, died two years ago.

“After my daughter Mumobai died two years ago, suddenly some people from the municipal corporation came and started asking whether I have taken Rs 2 lakh from the scheme. We haven’t got any money from anyone,” she says.

“The municipal corporation says the money has been withdrawn in the name of our daughter. They are calling and harassing us every day. If we had given our names in any scheme, then our documents and signatures would be there,” she says. “Show the papers to us. Why are we being harassed without any reason? We are already heartbroken after our daughter died,” says Leelabai.

In most of the cases, “e-payment orders” were found to be issued after 11 pm, and the copies of the death certificates were blurred. None of the identities have been linked with updated Aadhaar details. Even the Samagra IDs, an essential document issued by the state government, were created just before the “death” of labourers.

The officials appeared to have targetted only those labourers whose wage diaries, used to track payments, were inactive.

The workers board has helped over 61,200 beneficiaries in case of death, and released Rs 775 crore for funeral and ex-gratia assistance.

The Madhya Pradesh government told NDTV they will investigate the matter.

“If such a fraud has taken place anywhere, it will be investigated and strict action will be taken against whoever is guilty, no one in our government has the right to do such acts, There will be an investigation and the culprits will not be spared, we will not allow the public to be played with and this is the aim of our government,” Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla told NDTV.

Aamir Khan is once again aiming to dominate the Christmas 2024 box office. The actor has announced that his comeback film Sitaare Zameen Par will be hitting the theatres on Christmas this year. This will be his first Christmas release in eight years, with his last Christmas release being the blockbuster film Dangal in 2016. Sitaare Zameen Par also signifies his return to the big screen, as Aamir took a break after the disappointment of Laal Singh Chaddha.

Sharing details about the release of his next film, Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan stated in an interview with a news portal that they have started filming for his next film Sitaare Zameen Par where he is in a lead role. He also said that they’re aiming to release the film at the end of the year on the occasion of Christmas.

He further added, “But besides that, you will be able to see me not as a lead actor in the film but I am doing a few things. Let’s see how the audience reacts. I’am doing a few small roles.”

A few weeks ago it was reported that Aamir Khan will start shooting for the film from February 2.

Sitaare Zameen Par also stars Genelia Deshmukh.

See Also: Genelia Deshmukh will reportedly star alongside Aamir Khan in Sitaare Zameen Par 

Riding high on his and his party’s stunning victory in the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh, BJP leader Harsh Mahajan has declared that the Congress is a “gone case” and its government in the state will “fall very soon”. 

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Wednesday, Mr Mahajan said that apart from the six Congress MLAs that cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday, at least ten more legislators are in touch with him and are likely to make the switch to the BJP soon. For the Congress, Mr Mahajan’s remarks will sting even more because he was a long-time member of the party and had quit just ahead of the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh in 2022.

Fighting an uphill battle, the BJP won the Rajya Sabha election in the state on Tuesday despite having just 25 MLAs in the 68-member Assembly, against the Congress’ 40. It was helped by a draw of lots going in its favour after a tie. 

Attributing his victory to the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government’s performance in the state and the people and legislators’ “annoyance” with it, Mr Mahajan said, “I have been a part of Himachal politics for 45 years. I was in the Congress for a long time and joined the BJP about three years ago. So I know people from both parties very well. The discontentment among the Congress MLAs gave me a reason to speak to them and I am grateful to them for supporting me.”

Asked about the resignation as minister of Vikramaditya Singh, son of late Congress leader and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Mr Mahajan – who was known to be close to the leader – said, “There is so much discontentment, and the final outcome will be the fall of the government as soon as possible. Decisions like the Speaker suspending BJP MLAs are delay tactics. The final outcome, which will come very soon, will be the fall of this government.”

Pointing out that six Congress MLAs and three Independents had voted for him, Mr Mahajan claimed he is in touch with at least 10 more legislators from the party who are willing to join the BJP. 

On whether the Congress Rajya Sabha candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, being an ‘outsider’ played a role in his victory, the BJP leader said, “I know every MLA closely and I have groomed many of them. The fact that I am a son of the soil helped me. I think the people of Himachal Pradesh put the pressure on the MLAs that they needed.”

To a question on whether the Congress sending crisis managers like Karnataka Deputy Chief  Minister DK Shivakumar and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will help, Mr Mahajan pointed to factionalism within the party and said there are many contenders for the chief minister’s post.

In a sharp attack on his former party, the BJP leader said, “This (the leaders’ intervention) is not going to work. The Congress party has been dismantled from the Centre to the states. Everybody has faith in PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda. The Congress is a gone case now. I think it is the beginning of the end for the Congress in the states as well.”

Mr Mahajan said the consecration of the Ram Temple last month has also helped the BJP in Himachal, which, he said, is a “98% Hindu state”.