Karnataka begins door-to-door verification of Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries from today

BENGALURU: The Energy Department launched a door-to-door verification drive for beneficiaries of the state government’s flagship Gruha Jyothi Yojana (GJY) across all five electricity supply companies (ESCOMs)

The verification exercise, which began on July 1, is aimed at updating beneficiary records under the scheme, launched in July 2023. During the drive, meter readers and Escom staff will visit consumers’ residences to verify records and collect beneficiary information through a mobile application and a declaration form.

The Energy Department has requested beneficiaries to keep the required documents ready for verification, including their Aadhaar card (for verification only), passport-size photograph, voter ID card, PAN card, tenancy or rental agreement (where applicable), ration card and caste certificate.

The department said the verification can only be completed through an on-site visit by meter readers and urged all consumers and beneficiaries to cooperate with the visiting staff to ensure a smooth and timely completion of the exercise. The verification drive is being carried out across the jurisdictions of Bescom, Mescom, Hescom, Gescom and CESC.

The Gruha Jyothi Yojana is a flagship Karnataka government scheme that provides up to 200 units of free electricity to residential households in the state. The program applies to both homeowners and tenants, aiming to reduce monthly living costs for middle- and lower-income families.

Chief Minister D K Shivkumar had on Sunday dismissed rumours about the discontinuation of the Congress government’s guarantee schemes, asserting that welfare programmes such as Gruha Lakshmi and Gruha Jyothi will continue without interruption. The CM said the public should not be misled by what he described as false propaganda by opposition parties regarding the future of the schemes.

In a statement on X, “Guarantee is there, guarantee will be there! We will not stop guarantee schemes, no need to worry. The Congress government’s people-centric guarantee schemes like Gruha Lakshmi and Gruha Jyothi will not be suspended for any reason. The public should not pay heed to the false propaganda and rumours from opposition parties that these schemes are being stopped”, he said. (ANI)