Gruha Jyothi Scheme
Karnataka has 2.1 crore domestic consumers, of whom 1.8 crore had registered for the Gruha Jyothi scheme, according to energy department data accessed by TOI up to May 2026. “Of these, only 1.7 crore were eligible for up to 200 units of free electricity under the govt’s criteria. As many as 25.7 lakh (16%) of eligible consumers remain unverified following the door-to-door survey. Of these, 1.3 lakh have expressed their desire to opt out of the scheme,” an official said. “We have given consumers missed during the door-to-door survey until Oct 31 to visit their nearest subdivision office and submit the required details and documents.
N Shivashankara, IAS, managing director of Bescom, said: “It was difficult to convince some households, particularly those living in large apartment complexes. We have recorded their statements and will submit a detailed report to the energy minister and the govt before awaiting further orders,” Shivashankara said. He added that several consumers had said they were not registered voters in Karnataka and were living in the state for work. We will proceed based on the govt’s decision,” he said.
In some cases, our officials were not even allowed to enter the premises. Nevertheless, we made every effort to persuade them to cooperate. Eventually, when we contacted them via mobile messages, they informed our officials that they were unwilling to share the required documents and were prepared to opt out of the scheme. They were apprehensive about the possible misuse of their personal information. Our engineers and other personnel explained the requirements to them on several occasions, but they remained reluctant to share documents. However, we are unsure how to proceed with those refusing to share their details. “We are compiling details of such consumers, most of whom fall under Bescom limits. The list will be submitted to the energy minister and the chief minister for further action.
