Odisha welfare scheme hit by marriage record fraud affecting nearly 2,000 cases

Fresh evidence of large-scale abuse of Odisha's Nirman Shramik Scheme has emerged, with nearly 2,000 marriage records found to have been manipulated to unlawfully claim welfare benefits. The construction worker welfare scheme, designed to support labourers in the state, has become a target for fraudsters seeking to extract illegal payments through doctored documentation.

The discovery adds to mounting concerns about the administration and oversight of the social welfare programme. Investigators found that falsified or altered marriage certificates were being submitted as part of benefit applications, allowing ineligible applicants to access funds meant for legitimate scheme beneficiaries.

The scale of the fraud—affecting nearly 2,000 documented cases—suggests systematic exploitation rather than isolated incidents. The manipulation of marriage records points to potential collusion between applicants and officials at various administrative levels responsible for document verification.

Authorities have indicated that a comprehensive audit of the scheme's records is underway to identify additional irregularities and recover misappropriated funds. The findings are expected to trigger stricter verification protocols and enhanced scrutiny of future applications under the welfare programme.