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With Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announcing that radical volition person to reapply to avail the Gruha Jyothi warrant scheme, the Department of Energy is readying to nexus elector ID on with the Aadhaar and RR fig of the respective energy meters of consumers. The nonsubjective is to guarantee that lone voters from Karnataka payment from the scheme.
A elder authoritative from the Energy Department said, “There are a batch of radical from different States who person voting rights successful their State. They enactment successful Karnataka, mostly successful rented accommodations, and payment from the scheme. Therefore, erstwhile beneficiaries reapply, we are readying to inquire them to nexus their elector ID on with Aadhaar and RR number. Mechanisms volition beryllium enactment successful spot to cheque if they are Karnataka voters oregon not.”
The authoritative besides added, “There are radical from different States who person been surviving successful Karnataka for galore decades and besides person voting rights here. In specified instances, they tin use and payment from the scheme.”
Many could suffer out
However, galore Karnataka citizens person said they volition suffer retired connected the strategy if this is implemented. Aravind (name changed), a nonmigratory of Banashankari, said, “I bash not person a elector ID and ever ballot utilizing my Aadhaar card. In that case, I volition suffer my Gruha Jyothi benefits.”
Another nonmigratory from R.T. Nagar said, “There are lakhs of radical who migrate to Bengaluru for assorted reasons. I shifted from Mysuru to Bengaluru agelong ago. Though I person a elector ID registered successful Mysuru, I person not exercised my franchise successful either city. In addition, the location I ain is successful my wife’s name, and she, too, does not person a elector ID. So far, I person been paying ₹200 to ₹300 per period for electricity. If the authorities brings successful the caller rules, I volition extremity up paying more.”
In response, an authoritative successful the Energy Department said, “We bash not person an nonstop fig for non-voters and cannot accidental however galore radical are apt to suffer Gruha Jyothi benefits. In future, it volition beryllium mandatory for Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries to person a elector ID registered successful Karnataka. It does not substance whether they person exercised their franchise successful caller years oregon not.”
At present, 1.67 crore radical are benefiting from the Gruha Jyothi scheme. As per the latest information from the Energy Department, the authorities has released a subsidy of ₹5,830 crore successful 2022–23, ₹9,158 crore successful 2024-25, ₹10,260 crore successful 2025-26, and ₹1,762 crore successful 2026–27 (till May 31) to energy proviso companies.
Emphasising the subsidy outlay, the authoritative said, “At present, the authorities pays ₹800 crore to ₹1,000 crore arsenic subsidy for the scheme. If the authorities tin prevention adjacent ₹200 crore from this subsidy, the wealth tin beryllium utilised for different infrastructure works of the department.”
Under the scheme, escaped energy is supplied each month, taxable to a maximum depletion bounds of 200 units. This volition proceed successful the aforesaid manner, the authoritative added.
Smart paper to beneficiaries?
Similar to the Transport Department’s program to contented astute cards nether the Shakti strategy for beneficiaries, the Energy Department is besides readying to contented astute cards. The paper volition transportation details of beneficiaries, including RR number, Aadhaar fig and elector ID. However, officials are yet to framework guidelines connected however these cards volition run erstwhile beneficiaries displacement oregon alteration houses.
