Karnataka’s Gruha Jyothi scheme could see 34.76 lakh households lose access to subsidised electricity after beneficiary verification remained incomplete across the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) area, according to a report by Prajavani. The figure includes 29.28 lakh households whose records could not yet be checked because homes were vacant or locked, and 5.48 lakh households whose heads allegedly declined to provide information during verification.
The verification exercise began on July 1 after the government raised concerns that some registered consumers were ineligible or were using more electricity than the scheme’s prescribed limit. The deadline for the exercise ended on September 30, but meter readers told Prajavani that the target could not be achieved because many beneficiaries were unavailable or unwilling to share documents.
A total of 1,76,61,067 consumers have registered for Gruha Jyothi through the state’s Seva Sindhu platform. However, 1,65,32,652 households are currently receiving the benefit, according to the report. Consumers whose usage exceeds the prescribed limit do not receive free electricity under the scheme.
The verification process has created a practical administrative challenge in Bengaluru’s apartment-heavy neighbourhoods. Meter readers cited by Prajavani said repeated visits often failed because residents were away, homes remained locked or occupants questioned why personal information was required. One meter reader said that 1,800 of the 2,400 consumers assigned to the official had provided information by the deadline, while the remaining cases were recorded as locked homes.
The documents being sought include Aadhaar and voter identity information. Prajavani reported that some consumers without voter identity cards were still assessed, with the absence of the document recorded in their applications. Other meter readers said some residents declined to provide either Aadhaar or voter identity documents, while others could not be contacted even when visits were made on holidays.
BESCOM has provided a route for consumers who received a message after their home was marked as locked. Once the entry is made in the Seva Sindhu application, a message is sent to the consumer’s mobile phone. Such consumers can visit a nearby BESCOM office and submit their information. A meter reader in C.V. Raman Nagar said some residents had responded after receiving the message, although around 200 cases in that official’s area remained unresolved.
The issue extends beyond BESCOM. An official involved in the exercise told Prajavani that verification had progressed relatively well in the BESCOM and Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (MESCOM) areas, while the number of pending cases was higher in the other electricity supply company jurisdictions. The Energy Department has received a proposal to extend the verification period by another month, and a decision was expected within a few days of the report.
Officials also indicated that the government may provide another opportunity so that genuine beneficiaries are not affected. Consumers without voter identity cards could be removed after the final opportunity, while households marked as vacant or locked may lose the benefit if they fail to submit information during the extended process. Prajavani reported that the final decision on discontinuing the benefit for such cases would require consideration by the state Cabinet.
