Married women pay bribes to claim 'Kanyashree' benefits in Malda

A case of fraud in the Kanyashree scheme has come to light in the state. Some women have been married for two or three years, and many have children. However, they falsely declared themselves unmarried and applied for financial benefits under the Kanyashree project through schools. Verification by the Block Development Officer (BDO) has revealed several fake beneficiaries. The incident has surfaced in the Mashaldaha area of Harishchandrapur 2 Block.

On Thursday morning, Harishchandrapur 2 Block’s Joint BDO, Sonam Wangdi Lama, visited the villages of Talgachi and Karkaria in the Mashaldaha area to verify several Kanyashree applications submitted by students from Jagannathpur High Madrasa. During the door-to-door verification of applicants, multiple fake beneficiaries were exposed, leading the BDO to reject those applications. The state government launched the ‘Kanyashree Project’ to ensure that female students do not face financial difficulties in pursuing their education.

Unmarried girls aged 13 to 18 receive financial aid of ₹1,000 per year for their education. Additionally, if they remain unmarried after turning 18, they receive a one-time payment of ₹25,000. However, allegations suggest that some students applied for this one-time benefit by falsely claiming to be unmarried despite being married. Both the students and their families have admitted to this. Reportedly, two months ago, two individuals posing as panchayat and block employees distributed Kanyashree application forms, promising financial assistance under the scheme. In return, they collected bribes ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 from the families.

Block administration sources indicate that a block employee was also involved. He conducted field verification, collected money, and submitted a false report to the block office. BDO Tapas Kumar Pal has assured strict action against those responsible. Bedra Khatun, the aunt of applicant Sukhtara Khatun, a student of Jagannathpur High Madrasa, revealed that her niece was married three years ago and has a two-year-old child. The application for Kanyashree was submitted after her marriage. Two months ago, two individuals visited them, claiming to be block and panchayat employees. They demanded ₹5,000, promising to facilitate the financial aid. She paid them ₹3,000 but does not know their identities.

Another student from the same madrasa, Sabnaz Khatun, stated, “I was married two years ago but am now divorced and living at my father’s house. After my marriage, I applied for Class 11 admission for my daughter. Two individuals, posing as block and panchayat officials, took ₹3,500 from me, claiming it was for processing the Kanyashree grant.” Mohammad Sahabuddin, the headmaster of Jagannathpur High Madrasa, clarified that unmarried certificates are issued by the panchayat. The applicants presented these certificates to apply for the scheme. The school is responsible for uploading all documents to the state government’s Kanyashree portal. Subsequently, block and panchayat officials conduct verification based on directives from the block office.

Sometimes, ICDS staff submit verification reports to the block administration. The school itself has no role in this process. However, upon discovering the truth about the students’ marital status, the school canceled 8 to 10 applications. Harishchandrapur 2 Block’s Joint BDO, Sonam Wangdi Lama, stated, “I verified 16 Kanyashree applications in Talgachi and Karkaria villages. Out of these, 14 were found to be fraudulent. I have received complaints about a block employee accepting bribes, and strict action will be taken against him.”