Gruha Jyothi survey: Bescom to re-verify 5.5 lakh beneficiaries who missed document submission
With two days remaining for the Gruha Jyothi door-to-door survey to be completed, about 5.5 lakh beneficiaries in the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) jurisdiction have either not submitted the required documents or declined to provide personal details during the exercise, officials said.
The Energy department will hold a second round of verification for these beneficiaries. "A total of 68.86 lakh Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries are in the Bescom jurisdiction. We have completed around 99 per cent of the household survey so far. Of these, 5.5 lakh beneficiaries have either failed to provide documents like Aadhaar or Voter ID, or refused to provide them. Our staff will go to their doorstep again so that they do not lose their benefits," a senior Bescom official said.
Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, said the government was considering policy-level changes for beneficiaries who could not provide their details for various reasons, including the absence of documents such as an Aadhaar card or a Voter ID. "They will be verified in the second round of the door-to-door survey," he said.
What the scheme provides
Gruha Jyothi is a Karnataka government scheme that offers free electricity to eligible domestic consumers, subject to a monthly consumption limit of 200 units. It is one of the state's guarantee programmes. Households that qualify receive a zero bill as long as their monthly consumption stays within the cap.
The verification drive is meant to confirm that the benefit reaches eligible households and that the list of beneficiaries held by the electricity supply companies matches ground records. The documents sought include Aadhaar and Voter ID, which are used to establish identity and residency.
Timeline of the survey
The door-to-door survey began in July and was to be completed by August 31. The deadline was later extended to September 30.
Officials said the 5.5 lakh cases in Bescom include households where no one was available during the visit, where the required papers were not on hand, and where residents chose not to share their details. The second round is intended to cover these households before the beneficiary list is settled, so that no eligible consumer is left out for procedural reasons.
The department has not announced specific dates for the second round of visits. Beneficiaries in Bescom areas who have not yet completed verification can expect survey staff to call at their homes in the coming weeks, and officials have advised keeping Aadhaar and Voter ID copies ready for inspection.
Why verification matters for consumers
Officials indicated that completing verification is necessary for a household to continue receiving the benefit under the scheme. Those who are verified will remain on the list; those who are not may face difficulties, which is why the department has decided on a second round rather than closing the survey.
The figures released so far relate only to the Bescom jurisdiction, which covers Bengaluru and several surrounding districts. Comparable survey data for other electricity supply companies in the state was not provided in the same update.
The exercise is part of a wider effort by the state to align welfare delivery with verified records. Officials said the process is being conducted at the doorstep to reduce the need for consumers to visit offices, and that staff have been instructed to complete the remaining cases within the extended timeframe.
