Karnataka Government’s popular Griha Jyoti scheme is once again in the news. Under this scheme, up to 200 units of free electricity is provided every month to domestic consumers of the state, which has provided relief to lakhs of families.
Business News: Karnataka Government’s ambitious Gruha Jyothi Scheme is once again in the news. Under this scheme, up to 200 units of free electricity is given every month to domestic consumers of the state. This initiative was started with the aim of providing relief to the common citizens from rising electricity costs and inflation, but after the recent audit report, the government has started preparations to make its rules more stringent.
What is Griha Jyoti Yojana?
Griha Jyoti Yojana is one of the major social welfare schemes launched by the Congress government of Karnataka. Its objective is to provide free electricity up to a certain limit to the domestic electricity consumers of the state. Under this scheme, eligible consumers get rebate in electricity bill up to 200 units per month.
This scheme has become a medium of relief for lakhs of families in the state and has been included among the major “Guarantee Schemes” of the government. Currently, lakhs of domestic consumers are taking advantage of this scheme, and the government is spending huge subsidies on it.
Errors revealed in audit report
A detailed review and audit conducted recently has revealed some serious issues related to the scheme. According to the report, several cases have been found where the benefits of the scheme were availed even by people who did not fulfill the eligibility criteria. According to sources, some beneficiaries were found who are not voters of the state, while in some cases information about the same person availing the benefit of the scheme at more than one meter has also come to light. After this revelation, the government has decided to tighten the monitoring and eligibility checking of the scheme.
Why did the government take a tough stance?
According to the Karnataka government, the scheme is incurring huge financial burden every month. According to estimates, the government is spending hundreds of crores of rupees every month on this subsidy scheme. After reports of irregularities surfaced, the state administration has said that it is necessary to ensure proper utilization of public funds. For this reason, the process of re-checking and verification of the beneficiaries of the scheme is being started.
Who will get the benefit now?
According to the new rules proposed by the government, the benefits of Grih Jyoti Yojana will be available only to those consumers who fulfill the following conditions:
- Must be a resident of Karnataka: It will be mandatory for the beneficiary to be a valid voter of the state. Outside states or unregistered consumers will not get the benefits of the scheme.
- Benefit on only one domestic meter: Each household will be given rebate on only one residential electricity meter (RR number). Meters used for agriculture or other purposes will not be covered under this scheme.
- Residential use only: The benefit of the scheme will be valid for domestic use only. If any property is being used for commercial activities, it will be excluded from the scheme.
To prevent irregularities, the government is now preparing to implement a comprehensive KYC (Know Your Customer) process. Under this, voter ID, electricity connection details and other documents of the beneficiaries will be verified. Apart from this, it is also being considered to start the registration process afresh under the scheme, so that only genuine eligible consumers can get the benefits.
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