The alleged improper scrutiny of the distribution of old-age pension to underage people at Madhir village is only one scam in an entire series, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, member of the legislative assembly from Gidderbaha, has said.
A report in HT on Monday had highlighted how three underage elected members of the village body of Madhir and their relatives had drawn old-age pension. A villager who had dug out the details using the Right to Information (RTI) Act had also alleged that the illegal beneficiaries were the near and dear ones of sarpanch Birdavinder Singh of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

"Improper pension scrutiny is just the tip of the iceberg. In almost every government scheme, the SAD workers get the preference without eligibility," said Warring. "I also have filed many applications under the RTI Act, and I will uncover more scams in the coming days."

The legislator said he knew about affluent farmers holding more than 10 acres each who had claimed benefits of the poor under the Atta-Dal scheme. "Dead people were brought on the list to eat up the money of the poor."

He talked about the allegation against chief minister Parkash Singh Badal that he had spent Rs. 40 crore of the grant for the poor on buying votes. "The modus operandi in Gidderbaha and other constituencies was the same," he said. "The poor don't get their share of the welfare money even if they are 100% eligible."

He said his party had collected the evidence to support its allegations against the ruling alliance of the SAD and Bharatiya Janata Party and it would disclose it in the assembly in the upcoming session.