BESCOM verification puts 16 lakh Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries at risk

Bengaluru: Nearly 16 lakh beneficiaries of Karnataka’s Gruha Jyothi scheme are at risk of being excluded from the free electricity programme as the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) steps up verification of eligible consumers.

The scheme, one of the Congress government’s five guarantee programmes, provides free electricity up to 200 units a month to eligible households. The Energy Department has launched a re-verification exercise to ensure that the benefit reaches eligible consumers and to prevent possible misuse. BESCOM has around 69 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme. However, the utility is yet to receive complete information and supporting documents for nearly 16 lakh consumers, according to the report.

Meter readers and other staff have reportedly visited several households more than three times but failed to contact the beneficiaries. In many cases, houses were found locked, while some tenants had vacated their premises and moved elsewhere, making verification difficult. Some beneficiaries are also reportedly reluctant to submit the required information. These include individuals who pay income tax and people whose names appear on voters’ lists in other states, according to the report.

BESCOM has set October 31 as the final deadline for consumers who have not completed the verification process. They have been asked to visit their nearest BESCOM sub-divisional office, submit the necessary documents and fill out the prescribed application. Consumers who fail to provide the required information within the deadline may be placed on a separate list, which will be submitted to the state government.

The department is considering removing those who do not participate in verification from the scheme. The exercise could affect a large number of households unless they complete the documentation process before the deadline.

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Coovercolly Indresh

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