Officially declared dead in Odisha, 2,487 laborers ‘come to life’, authenticate Aadhaar to avail ration

Illustration by Soumyadip Sinha

In an attempt to fool Odisha’s welfare machinery, nearly 2,500 construction workers appear to have flouted mortality rules — dying on paper, collecting death benefits and then coming back to life to validate their Aadhaar and collect their monthly ration.

The audit has blown the lid on what appears to be a bizarre and massive fraud within the Nirman Shramik state welfare system. As many as 2,487 construction workers were declared dead and their nominees paid death benefits, even as the workers continued to draw subsidized food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme after the deaths were recorded.

Published – 17 Sep 2026 19:54 IST