Mysuru cancels Gruha Lakshmi benefits of 15,724 deceased beneficiaries, recovers ₹79.86 lakh

Authorities in Mysuru district have cancelled the Gruha Lakshmi benefits of 15,724 deceased beneficiaries and recovered ₹79.86 lakh that had been credited to their bank accounts after their death. The recovered amount has been remitted to the government.

The figures were disclosed at a review meeting on the progress of the state's guarantee schemes, held at the D. Devaraja Urs Hall of the Zilla Panchayat in Mysuru on Tuesday.

Arun Kumar S., chairman of the district-level Guarantee Schemes Committee, presided over the meeting and directed officials to recover any remaining amounts credited to the accounts of beneficiaries after their death. He also instructed them to identify eligible beneficiaries and exclude ineligible ones during the ongoing re-verification of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries. Enumerators have been asked to visit every household and collect accurate information.

Gruha Lakshmi is one of the five guarantee schemes of the Karnataka government, under which monthly financial assistance is transferred directly to the bank accounts of eligible women heads of households. Because payments are made by direct transfer, amounts can continue to be credited unless the account is removed from the beneficiary list after a death. The re-verification exercise is intended to update these lists.

District Guarantee Committee Vice-Chairman Shivakumar urged officials implementing the five guarantee schemes to ensure that benefits reached all eligible beneficiaries. He also referred to other schemes introduced by the government, including Bhoomi Guarantee, Negila Yogi and Tegada Siri.

Another Vice-Chairman, Hunsur Basavanna, said training was being provided at the taluk level to Anganwadi workers and enumerators for the re-verification process. He asked officials to create awareness among beneficiaries and ensure that they submitted the required documents.

Women and Child Development Department Deputy Director Nagaraju said one enumerator would be appointed for every 250 beneficiaries for the Gruha Lakshmi re-verification. Beneficiaries must have completed e-KYC and hold a bank account in Karnataka, among other conditions prescribed by the government.

The meeting also reviewed the re-survey under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, which provides free electricity to eligible households. The Superintending Engineer was directed to hold meetings with officials and issue the necessary directions to complete the process.

District Chief Planning Officer Savitha asked departments implementing the five guarantee schemes to share beneficiary success stories with the chairman, vice-chairpersons and members of the Guarantee Schemes Committee.

Committee member S.A. Yogesh said an eligible beneficiary, Devamma of Sagare village in H.D. Kote taluk, had not received Gruha Lakshmi benefits due to certain issues. Following discussions at the committee meeting, officials took steps to ensure that she received the benefit.

The review is part of a wider effort by the district administration to keep beneficiary lists current, so that assistance reaches those who are eligible while payments to those no longer entitled to the scheme are stopped.