Exercise gets underway for re-verification of SADAREM certificates

Tirupati: In light of irregularities reported in the issuance of Software for Assessment of Disabled for Access, Rehabilitation and Empowerment (SADAREM) certificates, the State government has directed district administrations to conduct a thorough re-verification process. District Collector Dr S Venkateswar has issued a stern warning that stringent action will be taken against medical officers found guilty of issuing fraudulent certificates.

During a virtual video conference chaired by Special Chief Secretary for Health Krishna Babu on Thursday, district Collectors, DRDA PDs, DMHOs, DCHS and other officials discussed re-verification procedures for long-term bedridden patients receiving Rs 15,000 pensions and for those availing pensions under various disability categories. The conference aimed to streamline efforts to eliminate fake certificates and ensure transparency in the process. Krishna Babu highlighted that the government has initiated the process of identifying and eliminating fraudulent pension claims made using bogus certificates. Special medical teams will be deployed for this task and all verification data must be uploaded to a dedicated app developed for this purpose. He stressed the need for raising awareness among beneficiaries and submitting detailed reports on fake certificates and tampering incidents. Collector Dr Venkateswar directed officials to prioritise examining certificates issued by hospitals that have granted a significant number of disability-related pensions. He stressed that medical teams comprising specialist doctors, PHC staff and digital assistants should visit beneficiaries’ homes and record health data in the app.

The first phase of verification for bedridden patients must be completed by the end of the month, while subsequent phases will focus on other disability pension recipients. Plans for village-wise and hospital-specific verification must be finalised, with comprehensive reports submitted by April. The Collector reiterated that the re-verification process must be foolproof, leaving no room for irregularities. Any official involved in issuing fake certificates will face severe consequences.

DRDA Project Director TN Sobhan Babu, Deputy CEO Zubeda, DMHO Dr Balaji Naik, DCHS Ananda Murthy, Ruia Hospital Superintendent Dr G Ravi Prabhu, District Secretariat Officer Narayana Reddy, Panchayat Officer Suseela Devi and other officials attended the meeting.