BELAGAVI: The door-to-door verification drive for beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi free electricity scheme, which started from July 1, triggered widespread concern, particularly among tenants across the state.
The Energy Department initiated the verification exercise to curb alleged misuse of the scheme, under which households are eligible for up to 200 units of free electricity every month. Sources said that there were instances where ineligible beneficiaries, including occupants of commercial premises, have allegedly availed themselves of the subsidy through irregular means.
As part of the verification, officials have been directed to inspect beneficiary details by collecting supporting documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards and rental agreements. Authorities have warned that if beneficiaries fail to produce the required documents during inspection, the free electricity benefit may be discontinued.
New rules create problems for tenants
The verification process has become a major challenge for those who shifted into rented houses after July 2023. In many cases, the Gruha Jyothi registration continues in the name of the previous tenant, who vacated the premises without cancelling the Aadhaar linkage associated with the electricity connection.
According to officials, a fresh registration cannot be completed unless the previous beneficiary’s registration is first cancelled. As a result, new tenants are reportedly unable to link their Aadhaar details through the Seva Sindhu portal, preventing them from registering themselves as fresh beneficiaries.
This has left several new tenants uncertain about whether they will continue to receive the free electricity benefit. Many affected residents argue that tracing former tenants and requesting them to remove their Aadhaar linkage is impossible. They have urged the state government to introduce a technical solution or issue clear guidelines to resolve the problem without causing inconvenience to genuine beneficiaries.
Homeowners are also likely to face difficulties where connections continue to remain in the names of deceased family members.
The Energy Department has reportedly decided to discontinue Gruha Jyothi benefits for such connections unless the electricity account (RR Number) is transferred to the name of a legal family member and the scheme is re-registered accordingly.
However, many families said that they are unaware of the procedure for transferring electricity accounts and fear having to make repeated visits to electricity offices to complete the formalities.