Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 29: The Karnataka government is set to undertake a fresh verification of beneficiaries under its ambitious Gruha Lakshmi scheme through Seva Sindhu centres and a door-to-door survey, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has said.
Shivakumar gave the clarification in response to a question raised by MLC Dinesh Gooligowda.
As part of the re-verification exercise, beneficiaries will be provided the facility to complete biometric or face authentication. An e-DCS-based mobile application and web application have been developed specifically for the purpose and are currently at the final stage of verification, the chief minister said.
The state government has so far disbursed Rs 76,951 crore under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which currently has 1,24,48,938 beneficiaries.
Since the scheme was launched, women heads of households have been receiving Rs 2,000 per instalment directly into their bank accounts. A total of 32 instalments have been credited to beneficiaries so far.
Rs 117.31 crore credited after beneficiaries’ deaths
The need for the re-verification has also come under sharper focus following discrepancies involving payments made after beneficiaries’ deaths.
According to the chief minister’s response, 3,13,297 beneficiaries died between the launch of the scheme and the end of June 2026.
Despite their deaths, Rs 117.31 crore was credited to the bank accounts of 1,10,562 beneficiaries. Of this amount, only Rs 40.07 crore has so far been returned to the government’s account head, leaving a substantial amount yet to be recovered.
Gooligowda said the government had taken note of instances where funds intended for eligible beneficiaries could be misused. He said chief minister D K Shivakumar had called for a re-verification of the scheme to ensure that its benefits reach those who are genuinely eligible.
Families of deceased beneficiaries to be considered
The government is also undertaking the process of adding other eligible members of the families of deceased beneficiaries as replacements under the scheme.
Among the districts, Belagavi has recorded the highest number of deaths among Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries, with 24,705 beneficiaries having died.
Kodagu has recorded the lowest number, with 2,991 beneficiaries having died.
The recovery of funds credited to the accounts of deceased beneficiaries is being undertaken on a district-wise basis, the government said.
The re-verification exercise is intended to plug such gaps, prevent misuse of public funds and ensure that the Rs 2,000 monthly assistance under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme reaches eligible women heads of households.