Gruha Jyothi survey off to a slow start; glitches reported on mobile app
The door-to-door survey of Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries got off to a slow start across the State on Wednesday, with Energy Department officials saying they faced
The door-to-door survey of Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries got off to a slow start across the State on Wednesday, with Energy Department officials saying they faced issues while entering data on the mobile app. According to details provided by Bescom officials, verification of 2,536 beneficiaries was completed on the first day of the drive. As of May 31, Bescom had recorded a total of 68.86 lakh Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries. An official assigned to Ganganagar said, “I was supposed to complete 20 houses today, but I managed to finish only two. The Seva Sindhu app is too heavy. Even before I could enter the data, the app would shut down or display messages such as ‘re-enter later’ or ‘try later’. All the houses that could not be surveyed due to the slow app will be covered again tomorrow.” Another official assigned to survey houses in Mathikere said, “I visited 10 houses, but data from only five could be entered into the app.” Meanwhile, a press release stated that meter readers and field staff visited the households of beneficiaries across eight districts under Bescom’s jurisdiction and that the drive, which began on Wednesday is scheduled to run till August 31.
Requesting beneficiaries to keep the necessary documents ready, Bescom has sent SMS alerts to the registered mobile numbers of beneficiaries, informing them about the data collection drive and the upcoming visits by field staff. To ensure consumer security and authenticity, meter readers and field staff have been asked to carry their identity cards. Field personnel have also been trained to obtain the physical signature of the beneficiary on the printed declaration form. In cases where the registered beneficiary is unavailable during the home visit, staff have been authorised to collect the signature of an immediate family member instead. If a beneficiary provides only partial details during the door-to-door visit, the information can be temporarily saved in the draft section of the mobile app. Field staff will subsequently revisit the household to collect the remaining details and complete the submission.
Gruha Jyothi is a flagship guarantee scheme launched by the Karnataka government in 2023. The scheme provides free electricity of up to 200 units to residential consumers. Documents to keep ready Consumers have been asked to keep 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 ready. They will also be required to provide details of their BPL or APL ration card, if they possess one. Field staff will record the professional details of consumers as well. A caste certificate is sought from beneficiaries belonging to the SC/ST, OBC, and minority categories. However, officials clarified that caste status will not determine eligibility for benefits under the Gruha Jyothi scheme and is being collected only for verification purposes. What’s in the form?
The BriefWire