Representational picture for Gruha Lakshmi Scheme
Bengaluru: Facing fire over crores being credited to the bank accounts of deceased Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries, the state govt Monday said it had recovered around 36% of the wrongly paid Rs 117.5 crore and was working to recover the rest. Officials told him that around Rs 42 crore had been recovered from the Rs 117.5 crore deposited in the accounts of deceased beneficiaries. Guarantee Committee member and MLC Dinesh Gooligowda said: “According to records, 1.99 lakh beneficiaries were found to be dead and their statuses were not updated on govt records. We have recovered Rs 42 crore, and the remaining amount will also be recovered soon.”
Due to this, the govt had deposited Rs 117.5 crore to their accounts. Chief minister D K Shivakumar Monday reviewed the implementation of various guarantee schemes at a meeting with the State Guarantee Committee chairperson and other members.
Around 1,450 office-bearers serve on these committees.
Sources said the govt is likely to retain only those beneficiaries who are registered as voters in Karnataka. The irregularities came to light after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged payments made to beneficiaries who were no more, raising questions over beneficiary verification and monitoring. The state govt, too, has admitted to irregularities in the scheme’s implementation, giving fresh ammunition to the opposition’s charges of financial misgivings. The CM also approved a proposal to hold a mega convention in Bengaluru of members of guarantee implementation committees from across Karnataka. Escoms are also set to begin filtering beneficiaries from this month.