Mangaluru: The Karnataka government is set to launch a statewide door-to-door reverification drive for beneficiaries of the flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme after identifying payments worth Rs 177 crore that were credited to beneficiaries even after their deaths. The exercise is aimed at cleaning up the beneficiary database, plugging loopholes and ensuring that welfare assistance reaches only eligible households.

The decision comes shortly after the government initiated a similar reverification exercise for the Gruha Jyothi scheme. Officials are seeking to identify ineligible beneficiaries and strengthen the systems used to deliver the state’s guarantee scheme benefits.

Six-member committees to assist verification

Karnataka State Guarantee Implementation Authority chairman H M Revanna said six-member committees would be constituted at the grama panchayat and ward levels to support government officials during the verification process.

According to Revanna, the government order initiating the exercise was issued on August 31 following discussions with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The committees will assist officials in reaching beneficiaries at the grassroots level and facilitating the verification of records.

The committees will include Congress party workers, with representation for different social groups. Each committee will have two women members along with representatives from the Scheduled Castes, minorities, Backward Classes and general category.

Revanna clarified that the committees would not impose any additional financial burden on the government. Their role would primarily be to facilitate the work of officials and assist them in completing the verification process at the local level.

The door-to-door exercise is expected to help the government cross-check beneficiary information with records available at the local level and identify cases where benefits may have continued despite changes in eligibility.

Rs 177 crore paid after beneficiaries’ deaths

The major concern behind the verification drive is the discovery that payments totalling Rs 177 crore were made to Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries even after their deaths.

The Gruha Lakshmi scheme provides monthly financial assistance to eligible women from households covered under the programme. Since its launch, the scheme has become one of the key components of Karnataka’s welfare guarantee programmes.

Revanna said the payments after the deaths of beneficiaries occurred because of loopholes in the system before corrective mechanisms were introduced. The government has now begun efforts to recover the money that was wrongly credited.

Of the Rs 177 crore identified in such payments, around Rs 30 crore has reportedly been recovered so far. Efforts are continuing to recover the remaining amount.

The issue has highlighted the importance of regularly updating beneficiary databases, particularly for large-scale welfare programmes involving direct transfers into bank accounts.

Automatic stoppage of payments introduced

The government has subsequently implemented mechanisms intended to automatically stop Gruha Lakshmi payments when a beneficiary dies. The move is expected to reduce the possibility of payments continuing because changes in beneficiary status are not immediately reflected in government records.

Authorities are also examining additional safeguards to prevent similar lapses in the future. Among the measures under consideration is biometric authentication, which could provide another layer of verification when beneficiary details are checked.

A stronger system of authentication and regular updating of records could help the government minimise duplication, incorrect payments and other forms of leakage while ensuring that funds are directed towards households that continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

The proposed door-to-door verification will therefore serve not only as a check on individual beneficiaries but also as an opportunity to improve the overall administration of the scheme.

Gruha Jyothi verification already underway

The latest move follows the government’s decision to conduct a similar reverification exercise under the Gruha Jyothi scheme.

The government has been attempting to ensure that benefits under its guarantee programmes are restricted to eligible beneficiaries. As these schemes involve large public expenditure, maintaining an accurate and regularly updated beneficiary database is essential to controlling leakages.

The verification drives are also expected to help identify cases where beneficiaries may have become ineligible due to changes in their circumstances.

By conducting physical verification at the local level, officials hope to establish whether beneficiaries listed in government records continue to be eligible and whether the benefits being provided correspond with the information available in official databases.

Proposal to change PDS rice entitlement

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government is considering another measure linked to the distribution of subsidised foodgrains through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Revanna said a proposal is under consideration to reduce the monthly rice entitlement under the PDS by 5 kg and provide an Indira Kit containing essential commodities instead. The proposed kit could include items such as edible oil, sugar and pulses.

According to Revanna, the proposal is intended to address concerns over the diversion of subsidised rice into the black market.

The proposed change is still under consideration and would represent a shift in how welfare support is delivered to beneficiaries. Instead of providing the entire entitlement in the form of rice, the government is examining a combination of foodgrains and other essential commodities.

Any change in the PDS entitlement would require careful consideration, particularly because subsidised foodgrains form an important part of household food security for many beneficiaries.

Focus on preventing welfare leakages

The Gruha Lakshmi reverification drive comes at a time when the Karnataka government is seeking to strengthen the implementation of its welfare guarantee programmes. The identification of Rs 177 crore in payments made after beneficiaries’ deaths has brought renewed attention to the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms.

The recovery of around Rs 30 crore represents an initial step, while efforts to recover the remaining amount are expected to continue. The introduction of automatic payment stoppage after a beneficiary’s death could also address one of the key gaps that allowed such payments to occur.

The statewide door-to-door verification is expected to provide a fresh assessment of the beneficiary database and help officials identify discrepancies at the grassroots level. If implemented effectively, the exercise could strengthen accountability while ensuring that public funds under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme are used for their intended purpose.