Married woman withdraws widow pension for 18 years, asked to return entire amount

Uttarkashi: A woman from Sidari village in Mori block has been served notice by the Uttarkashi district social welfare department for receiving a widow pension for 18 years despite being

married

. Officials have asked the woman to return what she owes the department, which is around Rs 1 lakh, or face legal action.

The matter came to light following a two-year-old complaint. Kesar Singh, a former pradhan of Sidari village, had alleged in 2018 that Pratima Devi had been collecting pension for the last 18 years despite having a husband. A departmental investigation revealed that the woman had indeed been widowed, after which she started receiving the widow pension. However, she remarried and didn’t inform the department.

Kuldeep Rawat, the district probation officer, said, “We have asked the woman to return the money within two weeks. Otherwise, there will be legal action.”