1.3 lakh consumers opt out of Gruha Jyothi scheme

CH NEWS, BENGALURU A significant development has emerged regarding Karnataka’s flagship welfare initiative, the Gruha Jyothi scheme, which grants up to two hundred units of free electricity to households across the state. Official reports reveal that approximately 1.3 lakh consumers have voluntarily chosen to withdraw from the program after refusing to share personal verification documents during a recent state-led door-to-door survey. While millions have benefited from the free power provision over the past three years, privacy concerns and data security apprehensions have led a notable portion of recipients to step away. The wave of opt-outs is heavily concentrated within the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company jurisdiction, where roughly 1.2 lakh residents declined to hand over mandatory credentials such as voter identity cards, permanent account numbers, or Aadhaar details. Utility officials noted that resistance was particularly high among residents living in major apartment complexes, who expressed unease regarding the potential collection and safety of their personal information. Beyond those who formally opted out, millions of other accounts remain unverified because homes were locked or tenants had permanently relocated during field visits. To address the backlog, state authorities have announced a final compliance window. Out of crores of registered domestic users, roughly 25 lakh consumers missed the initial doorstep verification. BESCOM has urged all pending beneficiaries to visit their local sub-divisional office in person to submit the required documentation by October 31st. Officials have made it clear that failure to complete this verification process before the deadline will result in permanent exclusion from the electricity subsidy program, with comprehensive compliance reports currently being prepared for presentation to state ministry leadership.