Dutch govt resigns over child welfare fraud scandal

The Dutch government has submitted its resignation, accepting the responsibility for a scandal wherein thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud.

CNN quoted Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as announcing on Friday (local time) that responsibility for the scandal "ultimately rests with the incumbent Cabinet and nowhere else."

Announcing the Cabinet's resignation after a report by the Parliamentary Interrogation Committee on Childcare Allowance, he said, "On all levels throughout the political-administrative-legal system, mistakes have been made that have resulted in great injustice to thousands of parents."

According to the CNN report, under the scandal, around 10,000 families in the Netherlands were told to repay tens of thousands of euros of subsidies after being wrongly accused of child welfare fraud.

Rutte also announced that the elections for the new government will be taking place in mid-March.

( With inputs from ANI )