The Karnataka government has stepped up efforts to recover Gruhalakshmi scheme funds deposited into the bank accounts of deceased beneficiaries in Dakshina Kannada district. So far, Rs 95.32 lakh has been refunded to the government account from 951 bank accounts.
According to the Women and Child Development Department, 11,184 deceased beneficiaries have been identified in the district. Field-level verification found that 3,477 of them had received Gruhalakshmi funds even after their deaths, with a total of Rs 3.34 crore deposited into their accounts.
Recovery drive gathers pace
Of the amount identified, Rs 51.50 lakh has been frozen in bank accounts, while Rs 95.32 lakh has been recovered and credited back to the government. The recovery process has so far reached 28.47% of the targeted amount.
The department has also begun entering verified death details into the Gruhalakshmi portal to prevent further payments to deceased beneficiaries.
Officials said the absence of death certificates, particularly in rural areas, and delays in updating death information on the e-Janma portal are among the reasons payments continued.
There is also concern that some amounts deposited after beneficiaries’ deaths may have been withdrawn by family members or others. The department plans to seek further information from the district lead bank and take appropriate action in coordination with the Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee.
Ullal records highest recovery
Among the taluks, Ullal has reported the highest refund, with Rs 1.43 crore recovered from 61 beneficiaries. Bantwal has recovered Rs 15.22 lakh from 102 beneficiaries, while Puttur has recovered Rs 12.35 lakh from 91 beneficiaries.
Sullia recovered Rs 10.64 lakh from 132 beneficiaries and Beltangady Rs 10.42 lakh from 75 beneficiaries. Other recoveries were recorded in Kadaba, Mangaluru Rural, Moodbidri, Mulki and Mangaluru North.
Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Sridhar said officials would work with Anganwadi workers to obtain information about deaths in villages promptly and update the portal to prevent misuse of government funds.