BESCOM has asked Karnataka’s Energy Department for an additional 15 days to complete document verification for beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi scheme in Bengaluru, after the exercise reached 98% completion but left some households unverified.
A senior BESCOM official said field staff found that some residents had refused to provide information, while other homes were locked during visits. The discom has requested more time to revisit these households and give them another opportunity to submit the required details.
The official said BESCOM has records of households where staff could not complete verification because residents were unavailable or declined to share information. If the extension is approved, teams are expected to resume door-to-door visits within two to three days, according to the report.
The latest request follows an earlier extension of the verification deadline. The exercise was initially scheduled to conclude on August 31 but was extended until September 30. BESCOM is now seeking another 15 days from the Energy Department to cover cases that remain pending.
The verification process is intended to establish and confirm beneficiary details under Gruha Jyothi, the state’s household electricity support scheme. For residents whose information has not yet been collected, the proposed extension could provide another opportunity to complete the process without relying only on the original field visit.
BESCOM’s explanation points to a practical challenge in administering citywide welfare-linked utility programmes: household-level verification depends not only on official records but also on whether residents are present and willing to provide information when field staff arrive. Locked homes and declined responses can leave cases unresolved even when most of the exercise has been completed.
The discom said residents who were missed during the initial visits may be approached again if the Energy Department approves the request. Officials are also considering allowing people who remain unverified after the additional field visits to approach BESCOM offices directly with the necessary documents and submit their information.
The proposed process would therefore have two stages: renewed door-to-door verification for households identified as pending, followed by a possible office-based submission facility for cases still not covered. The report does not state that the requested extension has yet been approved.
The Energy Department’s decision will determine whether BESCOM can continue the verification exercise beyond September 30. Until approval is received, the additional field visits and the proposed office-based submission process remain subject to administrative clearance.
