PRAYAGRAJ, May 11 -- Not just the eligible, even the dead receive pension from the social welfare department! At least this is what the findings from official records testify in Prayagraj division's four districts of Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur and Kaushambi. In all, 10,843 pensioners under different social welfare schemes have been marked as dead or ineligible in the division's four districts, including 9,238 dead, besides 1,605 ineligible. According to deputy director, department of social welfare, Prayagraj division, Sudhir Kumar, of the total ineligible or dead pensioners, a shocking 98% had passed away but continued to receive pension in their respective pension accounts. "It is a fraud committed by office-bearers of the gram panchayat in connivance with the lekhpal as well as secretary of the panchayat. The gram pradhan overlooks such errors during annual verification as highlighting and correcting the same, could result in loss of vote, as the house affected due to stopping of pension will oppose his candidature in the next panchayat polls. The embezzlement of official funds, if calculated, would be phenomenal," he said. According to official records, of a total 4,59,225 pensioners in the division receiving monetary benefits of welfare schemes, verification of 3,85,718 (83.99%) was carried out till April 2025, in which a shocking 9,238 (2.39 %) were found dead and 1,605 (0.04 %) as ineligible. For example, records revealed, in Prayagraj district, of the total 1,44,576 pensioners, verification of 1,31,119 had been completed till last month. Here, 2,912 were found dead or ineligible including 2,859 (2.18%) dead and 53 (0.04%) ineligible as the latter failed to complete the criteria for receiving pension. Similarly, in Pratapgarh, of the total 1,52,860 pensioners, verification of 1,27,256 had been completed till last month of which 5,076 were found dead or ineligible including 3,549 (2.78%) dead and 1,527 (1.19%) ineligible. In Kaushambi, of the total 67,961 pensioners, verification of 51,241 had been completed till last month of which 1,847 were found dead or ineligible including 1,839 (3.58%) dead and 08 (0,01%) ineligible. Likewise, records revealed, in Fatehpur district, out of the total 93,828 pensioners, verification of 76,102 had been completed till last month of which 1,008 were found dead or ineligible including 1,001 (1.31%) dead and 07 (009%) ineligible....