Bengaluru authorities have begun recovering Rs 7.2 crore credited under Karnataka’s five guarantee schemes to the accounts of beneficiaries who had died, after an audit identified 18,522 deceased beneficiaries in the city. The government has written to nine major banks, but only Rs 9.2 lakh has been recovered so far.
The findings emerged during a review of the implementation of the state’s guarantee schemes by the Greater Bengaluru Authority guarantee implementation committee. Officials said benefit payments continued in some accounts after the beneficiaries’ deaths, prompting the government to seek recovery of the money transferred after death.
The committee said the 18,522 beneficiaries identified as deceased had been enrolled across the schemes. The data, current to the end of September, does not specify how many individual accounts received payments after death or how long such transfers continued. Officials have announced stronger verification and monitoring measures as part of the review.
Committee chairman G Krishnappa said the government spent Rs 20,632.77 crore on the five schemes in Bengaluru between July 2023 and September 2026. The city accounts for 13% of Karnataka’s total guarantee expenditure, which stood at Rs 1,54,862 crore during the period.
Gruha Jyothi accounted for the largest share of Bengaluru’s spending at Rs 9,625 crore and had 38.9 lakh beneficiaries, according to the committee’s data. Gruha Lakshmi had 8.9 lakh beneficiaries and spending of Rs 5,309.5 crore, while the Shakti scheme accounted for Rs 3,963.6 crore. Anna Bhagya spending stood at Rs 1,672.1 crore for 18.8 lakh beneficiaries. Yuva Nidhi had 20,119 beneficiaries and spending of Rs 62.5 crore.
The government said re-verification of Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries was nearly complete, with 99.9% of beneficiaries verified. Sources cited in the report said more than 1.5 lakh beneficiaries would be removed from the scheme in Bengaluru. The review of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries is continuing through biometric authentication, and the government has spent nearly Rs 20 crore on that verification exercise.
The measures announced by the committee extend beyond beneficiary checks. CCTV cameras are planned at ration warehouses to improve transparency, while Rs 150 crore has been earmarked for smart cards under the Shakti scheme. The committee also plans to form a six-member panel in each of Bengaluru’s 369 wards.
The recovery process now depends on coordination between the government, banks and the agencies responsible for maintaining beneficiary records. A dedicated helpline, 9480683972, has been launched for grievances related to the guarantee schemes. Officials said the verification and monitoring measures would be used to address irregular payments and improve oversight of the programmes.
