Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Sep 1: The Karnataka government is set to launch a statewide door-to-door reverification of beneficiaries under its flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme after detecting payments totalling Rs 177 crore being credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries even after their deaths.
The move is being undertaken as part of a major effort to plug leakages in the scheme and ensure that government benefits reach only eligible beneficiaries.
The decision comes soon after the government launched a similar reverification drive for the Gruha Jyothi scheme, with the exercise aimed at identifying ineligible beneficiaries and ensuring that benefits are restricted to eligible households.
Speaking to media representatives, Karnataka State Guarantee Implementation Authority chairman H M Revanna said six-member committees would be formed at the grama panchayat and ward levels to assist government officials in carrying out the verification exercise.
Revanna said a government order initiating the process was issued on August 31, following discussions with chief minister D K Shivakumar.
Each committee will comprise Congress party workers, including two women and representatives from the Scheduled Castes, minorities, Backward Classes and general category.
Revanna said the committees would not place any financial burden on the government and would only facilitate the verification process by assisting officials at the grassroots level.
According to Revanna, the government has identified payments amounting to Rs 177 crore that were credited to Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries even after their deaths. The payments continued because of loopholes in the system before corrective mechanisms were put in place.
Of the Rs 177 crore, around Rs 30 crore has been recovered so far, while efforts are continuing to recover the remaining amount.
Revanna said mechanisms have now been implemented to ensure that payments are automatically stopped after the death of a beneficiary. The government is also examining the introduction of biometric authentication and other safeguards to prevent similar lapses in the future.
Meanwhile, the government is considering a proposal to reduce the monthly rice entitlement under the Public Distribution System (PDS) by 5 kg and provide an Indira Kit containing essential commodities such as edible oil, sugar and pulses.
Revanna said the proposal is intended to prevent subsidised rice from being diverted to the black market.
The government’s latest verification drive is expected to provide a fresh check on the beneficiary database while tightening safeguards around the delivery of welfare benefits.