The Ballari District State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority, chaired by K.E. Chidanandappa, announced in a district‑level review meeting that financial assistance under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme had been mistakenly credited to the bank accounts of deceased beneficiaries.

Financial Discrepancy and Immediate Action

According to the central database, 5,972 Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries in the district have died. While no money was transferred to 3,748 of those accounts, an amount of ₹2.29 crore (₹2,28,96,000) was deposited in the remaining 2,224 accounts. Chidanandappa instructed officials to coordinate with banks to recover the sum, obtaining consent from the legal nominees as per government guidelines.

About the Gruha Lakshmi Scheme

The Gruha Lakshmi scheme is a flagship social‑security program of Karnataka, aimed at providing a monthly cash assistance of ₹2,000 to economically vulnerable women. Between August 2023 and March 2026, the district disbursed a total of ₹1,667.58 crore under the scheme. Approximately three lakh households are eligible, yet only 29,000 beneficiaries—just 10% of the target—have completed the e‑KYC process.

Re‑verification Strategy

To curb misuse, the authority emphasized that officials should not rely solely on software‑generated reports. Instead, Anganwadi workers and ASHA nurses will conduct door‑to‑door surveys to verify each beneficiary’s alive status, ration‑card details, and Gruha Lakshmi enrollment. Zilla Panchayat CEO Mohammed Haris Sumair disclosed that the state government is developing a dedicated survey application to streamline this re‑verification, capturing e‑KYC data, Aadhaar, voter ID, and PAN details.

Related Welfare Initiatives and Challenges

Chidanandappa also highlighted the sluggish distribution of student bus passes under the Shakti scheme, noting that Ballari ranks last in Karnataka with only 4,455 passes issued. He directed KKRTC officials to accelerate the process and to organize a public distribution event once the count exceeds 5,000, involving local legislators and authority members for greater transparency.

During the review of the second phase of the Gruha Jyothi e‑KYC, officials reported that out of nearly three lakh potential beneficiaries, merely 29,000 have completed the process. The authority clarified that while Aadhaar, voter ID, and PAN are now mandatory for e‑KYC, the previously required caste certificate has been removed. The electricity subsidy will continue for existing beneficiaries until verification concludes.

Additionally, Chidanandappa called for the identification of ineligible BPL ration‑card holders, noting that families with annual incomes above ₹1.20 lakh, four‑wheelers, income‑tax payers, or ownership of more than 7.5 acres of agricultural land are not eligible. The Food Department’s Deputy Director K.R. Devaraj confirmed that a list of over 6,000 suspicious ration cards has been compiled for a special verification drive. The department also proposed reducing rice allocations in the Public Distribution System and increasing coarse cereals like jowar and ragi, aligning with Ballari’s staple diet.