Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jun 11: The Karnataka government has made Aadhaar-based biometric verification mandatory for all Gruhalakshmi beneficiaries and has simultaneously removed around 4.30 lac ineligible beneficiaries from the scheme following a statewide verification drive aimed at curbing misuse.
Under the revised guidelines, women receiving the monthly Rs 2,000 Gruhalakshmi assistance must complete biometric authentication within one month, failing which their payments may be suspended. The verification can be completed at Bengaluru One, Grama One, Seva Kendras and Bapuji Seva Kendras for a fee of Rs 5. Beneficiaries must carry their Aadhaar card and the Department of Women and Child Development ID card. SC/ST beneficiaries are also required to provide the RD number mentioned in their caste certificate.
The government said the exercise is intended to ensure Aadhaar-bank account linkage, verify the identity of beneficiaries through fingerprint, iris or facial recognition, and prevent wrongful disbursal of funds.
The verification drive, conducted under ‘Operation Gruhalakshmi’, uncovered several irregularities, including benefits being received by income tax and GST assessees, families of government employees, deceased beneficiaries, and multiple applicants from the same household.
Following the review, approximately 4.30 lac names have been deleted from the beneficiary database. Officials said the scheme currently covers over 1.20 crore women across Karnataka and that the cleanup is expected to save the state exchequer hundreds of crores of rupees.
In Bengaluru South alone, authorities removed 12,719 beneficiaries, including 6,624 deceased persons and around 4,800 income tax and GST assessees found to be ineligible under scheme norms.
The government clarified that eligible beneficiaries whose names may have been removed due to technical errors can approach the concerned department and seek reconsideration by submitting valid documents. Officials said similar verification drives will continue to improve transparency and ensure that benefits reach only eligible women.