The Punjab Government has directed various departments to recover over Rs 50 lakh disbursed under the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana to 1,597 serving and retired women employees found ‘ineligible’ for the scheme. It has also ordered disciplinary action against the employees concerned and sought an action-taken report from the departments.The Social Security, Women and Child Development Department has written to the concerned departments, asking them to recover the amount paid to the ineligible beneficiaries and initiate the necessary proceedings.The beneficiaries received Rs 3,000 or Rs 4,500 each for the July-September quarter, depending on their eligibility category, despite being in government service or having retired from it.Employees of around half a dozen government departments have been found to have availed themselves of the assistance. The Education Department, Health Department and Social Security, Women and Child Development Department account for a number of such cases.The irregularities came to light during the verification of beneficiaries. Some women employees allegedly withheld information about their employment status while applying under the scheme.Government employees and retired government employees are among the categories excluded from the scheme. Income-tax payees, sitting and former MLAs, and sitting and former MPs are also ineligible for the benefit.Under the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, women belonging to the general category are entitled to Rs 1,000 per month, while those from the Scheduled Caste category receive Rs 1,500 per month.