Guarantee scheme beneficiaries to be verified again: K’taka CM

CHief regime minister DK Shivakumar has directed officials to take on a comprehensive critique of beneficiaries below the government’s five guarantee schemes.The expansive set of schemes have cost the state a cumulative sum of over ₹1.3 lakh crore since their inception.The exercise was announced on Thursday after Shivakumar met senior civil servants and police officials. It comes as Karnataka prepares to spend another ₹51,286 crore on the schemes during the 2026-27 financial year. Shivakumar said the review was intended to identify ineligible recipients and correct flaws in beneficiary records, not to curtail the programmes themselves. “There will be no rollback of the welfare schemes,” he said.The scrutiny will focus first on Gruha Jyothi, the programme that provides up to 200 units of free electricity to households. According to Shivakumar, officials have received complaints that some beneficiaries are claiming the subsidy through domestic connections while using the power supply for commercial activities.“There are 1.64 crore beneficiaries and if eligible persons take the benefits, we don’t have an issue,” he said.The chief minister said the government would seek more complete information on beneficiaries, including contact details, tenancy status, location records and electricity usage patterns. He also pointed to cases in which a single individual was linked to multiple electricity meters.Questions have also arisen around Gruha Lakshmi, which provides monthly financial assistance to women heading households. Shivakumar said discrepancies amounting to about ₹120 crore were identified.“Accurate data on this is needed, right?” he said.He added that payments intended for beneficiaries had, in some instances, continued to be withdrawn after the recipients had died.“Officials and families must report deaths to ensure accountability and prevent misuse of the scheme,” he said.The review revives concerns Shivakumar had raised before taking office about benefits reaching people who did not qualify. He had earlier said that more than ₹100 crore may have been disbursed to ineligible recipients and, in 2024, spoke of the need for possible changes after some women reportedly offered to pay bus fares despite being entitled to free travel.Karnataka’s five guarantee programmes include free electricity under Gruha Jyothi, monthly cash assistance through Gruha Lakshmi, food grain support under Anna Bhagya, unemployment aid through Yuva Nidhi and free bus travel for women under Shakti scheme.