Aadhaar-Based Audit Flags Nearly 7,000 Ghost Employees on Government Payrolls

A recent government audit using Aadhaar-linked data has uncovered widespread irregularities in public-sector payrolls, with close to 7,000 individuals reportedly drawing salaries without performing any official duties. The findings have highlighted persistent gaps in employee verification and salary monitoring across several government departments.
The audit was conducted as part of a broader initiative to clean up government employment records and prevent misuse of public funds. Officials involved in the exercise identified cases of salaries being credited to non-existent employees, duplicate identities, and multiple bank accounts linked to the same individual. In many instances, outdated records and weak oversight mechanisms allowed such payments to continue unchecked for years.
According to reports, the lack of consistent authentication processes and limited coordination between payroll systems and employee databases contributed to the problem. Aadhaar-based verification enabled authorities to detect mismatches between identity data and salary disbursements, bringing the scale of the issue to light.
Following the audit, the government is planning corrective steps, including stricter Aadhaar-linked authentication for salary payments and more frequent reconciliation of employee records. Departments have been advised to strengthen internal controls, adopt real-time monitoring systems, and improve coordination between finance, personnel, and administrative functions.
Officials have indicated that accountability measures are under consideration for departments where irregularities were most pronounced. These may include disciplinary action against responsible officials and recovery of funds that were wrongly disbursed.
The findings underscore the growing role of digital identity systems in enhancing transparency and accountability in public administration. They also align with the government’s broader push toward digitisation, aimed at reducing leakages, improving governance, and ensuring responsible use of taxpayer funds across central and state government establishments.
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