Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 15: With the onset of summer, Karnataka has witnessed a significant increase in electricity consumption. As a result, the state’s energy department is closely monitoring the situation, raising the possibility of revising the list of beneficiaries under the government’s Gruha Jyothi free electricity scheme.
Officials from the Karnataka energy department have been meticulously analysing consumer electricity usage patterns. This review could lead to modifications in the list of beneficiaries currently availing of the Gruha Jyothi scheme.
Under the state government's policy, consumers are eligible to receive up to 200 units of free electricity as long as their usage remains within a 10% deviation from their average consumption. However, with rising temperatures pushing up electricity usage, the need to reassess the Gruha Jyothi beneficiary list has become a pressing issue.
An official from the department stated, “We have observed an increase in electricity demand and consumption. Consequently, there has been a decrease in the number of beneficiaries under the Gruha Jyothi scheme. We are in the process of determining the exact reduction in the number of beneficiaries from March 2024 to March 2025. This data will provide a clearer picture of usage trends and help in planning the scheme’s future implementation.”
In the recent state budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that the total number of registered consumers under Gruha Jyothi stood at 1.62 crore. While the scheme required an allocation of Rs 9,657 crore in the last financial year, the government has earmarked Rs 10,100 crore for this financial year, to be disbursed to the Energy Supply Corporations (ESCOMs).
According to the energy department’s records, by January 2025, the total number of registered consumers under the scheme was 1,72,79,199, with 1,63,20,725 identified as beneficiaries. In contrast, as of December 2024, the number of registered consumers stood at 1,72,31,251, with 1,63,05,498 as beneficiaries.
The government’s subsidy allocation for the scheme was Rs 779.032 crore in December 2024, which increased to Rs 785.54 crore in January 2025. Meanwhile, the number of consumers disconnected from the scheme was reported as 2,19,886 by December 2024, rising to 2,28,111 as of March 17, 2025.
The total number of consumers eligible under the Gruha Jyothi scheme is 1,95,35,846, comprising LT-1 and LT-2 category consumers. Officials noted that the number of beneficiaries fluctuates, and the final tally is determined based on the consumers remaining after disconnections.
Additionally, with summer temperatures beginning to rise from February, officials have been evaluating consumer numbers for February and March 2024 compared to February and March 2025. This analysis aims to assess the real impact of seasonal electricity demand on the scheme’s implementation.