Benefits given to dead Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries to be recovered after verification
The Ballari District State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority has directed officials to conduct a thorough verification of beneficiaries under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme after it
The Ballari District State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority has directed officials to conduct a thorough verification of beneficiaries under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme after it was found that financial assistance has been credited to bank accounts of deceased beneficiaries. Chairing a district-level review meeting of the five guarantee schemes organised by the district administration and Zilla Panchayat there on Friday, authority chairman K.E. Chidanandappa said that, according to the Central database, 5,972 Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries in the district have died. While no funds have been credited to the accounts of 3,748 deceased beneficiaries, an amount of ₹2.29 crore (₹2,28,96,000) has been deposited in the accounts of the remaining 2,224 such beneficiaries. He directed officials to coordinate with banks to recover the amount from the accounts of the deceased beneficiaries after obtaining the consent of their legal nominees in accordance with government guidelines. Chidanandappa said that between August 2023 and March 2026, the district has disbursed ₹1,667.58 crore under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme at a rate of ₹2,000 per month per beneficiary.
To prevent the misuse of public funds and ensure that only eligible beneficiaries receive assistance, he instructed officials not to rely solely on software-generated reports but to verify beneficiary details through anganwadi workers and ASHAs by carrying out door-to-door surveys. He clarified that no new public process relating to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme has been initiated through internet or cyber centres. Beneficiaries need not visit GramOne centres or cyber cafés, as anganwadi workers will visit households once fresh government guidelines are issued. He directed officials to create awareness about this at the gram panchayat level. Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Haris Sumair said that the State government is developing a special survey application to facilitate re-verification of beneficiaries. Anganwadi workers will visit every beneficiary’s residence, record ration card and Gruha Lakshmi details, complete the e-KYC process and verify whether the beneficiary is alive or deceased. Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow distribution of free student bus passes under the Shakti scheme, Mr. Chidanandappa noted that Ballari ranks last in the State, with only 4,455 passes distributed so far.
He directed KKRTC officials to expedite the process and suggested organising a public distribution programme after the number crosses 5,000, in the presence of local legislators and members of the Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority, to create greater public awareness. Reviewing the progress of the second phase of Gruha Jyothi e-KYC, he said that the exercise should be completed within the stipulated timeframe to eliminate fake records and to identify genuine beneficiaries. Of the nearly three lakh consumers covered under the scheme, only 29,000 have completed e-KYC, accounting for barely 10% of the target. Officials clarified that Aadhaar, Voter ID and PAN have been made mandatory for e-KYC, while the earlier requirement of a caste certificate has been withdrawn. They also promised that the electricity subsidy will continue for all existing beneficiaries until the verification process is completed. Chidanandappa also called for identification of ineligible BPL ration card holders, pointing out that households with annual income above ₹1.20 lakh, owners of four-wheelers, income tax payers and those owning more than 7.5 acres of agricultural land in rural areas are not eligible for BPL cards.
The BriefWire