Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants Are Exploiting Government Schemes

 Elon Musk has been leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a US initiative aimed at reducing government waste and fraud to achieve a 15% spending reduction. Established by President Donald Trump, DOGE is tasked with optimizing federal operations, enhancing efficiency, and cutting excessive expenditures within an 18-month timeframe.

A similar governance approach was adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after taking office in 2014. He emphasized the need to free India from deep-rooted inefficiencies and harmful practices in government systems. With this philosophy, the Modi government has successfully eliminated 100 million fake beneficiaries from welfare schemes, saving Rs 3 lakh crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

However, a pressing concern has emerged—amidst the removal of fake beneficiaries, how many illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been exploiting welfare schemes? This issue gained attention following recent reports from Bhadwan village in Nashik, Maharashtra, where 181 individuals were found to have forged documents to fraudulently claim benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme. Investigations revealed that these individuals were Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants from Myanmar who had illegally settled in the area. Moreover, their bank accounts, linked to the fraudulent claims, were traced to West Bengal rather than Maharashtra, further raising concerns about organized welfare fraud and infiltration.

The Modus Operandi

The method typically involves forging Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and other identification documents to create a false legal identity, allowing them to access government benefits. Since Aadhaar is widely used for direct benefit transfers, obtaining a fake one enables them to avail of welfare schemes irrespective of their actual place of residence. In many cases, these individuals go to the extent of changing their names to Hindu identities to blend in more seamlessly with local populations. Such fraudulent activities often occur with the collusion of local authorities who assist in document forgery for votebank politics. These well-orchestrated operations not only drain public resources but also pose significant security risks by enabling unauthorized individuals to integrate into the system unnoticed. There are also high chances of changing certain regions' demographics, which can also threaten national security.

Here is the list of Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants availing various central/state government

List of Welfare Scheme Frauds Involving Illegal Migrants

Sr No	Case	Scheme	District	State
1	PM-Kisan Scheme Fraud	PM-Kisan	Nashik	Maharashtra
2	Bangladeshi woman found beneficiary	Ladki Bahin Yojana	Mumbai	Maharashtra
3	MNREGA payments to Bangladeshis	MNREGA	Murshidabad	West Bengal
4	Rohingya and intruders Bangladeshi Muslims Getting Illegal Benefits	PM Awas Yojana	Ghaziabad	Uttar Pradesh
5	Fake Aadhaar Used by Rohingyas	Arogyasri	Hyderabad	Telangana
6	Rohingyas with fake ID in UP for employment	Employment	Lucknow	Uttar Pradesh
7	Flats cancelled for Bangladeshis	JDA scheme	Jaipur	Rajasthan
8	Scholarship scam	Scholarship	-	Assam, Bihar
9	Controversy over flats to Rohingyas	Housing scheme	Delhi	Delhi
10	Rohingyas getting aid	Jal Board water and electricity	Delhi	Delhi
11	Govt land used for Bangladeshis	Indira Awas Yojana	Darrang	Assam
12	Rohingyas & Bangladeshis occupy govt houses	PMAY	Bilaspur	Chhattisgarh
13	Biggest minority scholarship scam	Minority scholarship programme	Multiple	India
14	Fake accounts in PM-Kisan	PM-Kisan	Multiple	Rajasthan
15	2.5 crore PM-Kisan fraud	PM-Kisan	-	Chhattisgarh
16	Bengal passport scam	Passport	-	West Bengal
17	Illegal encroachment by Bangladeshis	Various WelfareSchemes	Ahmedabad	Gujarat
18	Enrolment of illegal Bangladeshi migrants	School Admission Fraud	Delhi	Delhi
19	Illegal Rohingya immigrant using ration card	PDS	Poonch	Jammu and Kashmir
20	Harbouring and aiding Rohingya immigrants with illegal documents	PDS	Jammu	Jammu and Kashmir
21	Rohingya Muslims availing welfare schemes	Various Welfare Schemes	Hyderabad	Telangana

Incentive Scheme To Report Such Fraud?

To strengthen the fight against welfare fraud by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the government can introduce a incentive scheme that encourages citizens to report suspicious activities. Under this scheme, individuals who provide credible information about illegal immigrants fraudulently availing government benefits.This will not only enhance vigilance at the grassroots level but also create a strong deterrent against fraudulent claims. The scheme can include a secure and anonymous reporting system to protect whistleblowers from potential threats. Additionally, collaboration with local authorities, village heads, and community organizations can help ensure swift verification and action against offenders. By empowering citizens to play an active role in safeguarding public resources, the government can further tighten its grip on welfare fraud and illegal immigration.

A multi-pronged approach combining policy enforcement, grassroots participation, and stringent legal action will ensure that India's welfare schemes serve their intended purpose—uplifting deserving beneficiaries while preventing systemic exploitation for political gains