Bengaluru: After availing of up to 200 units of free electricity every month for nearly three years, around 1.3 lakh consumers across Karnataka have opted out of the state govt’s Gruha Jyothi scheme.Over the past three months, several consumers have expressed their unwillingness to continue under the scheme during govt’s door-to-door verification drive, declining to furnish personal documents such as Aadhaar, PAN and voter ID cards. Of the 1.3 lakh consumers opting out, a staggering 1.2 lakh fall under the jurisdiction of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), with the majority hailing from Bengaluru.With just 15 days remaining before the extended deadline for completing beneficiary verification, energy department officials told TOI that several consumers had expressed their desire to opt out of the scheme.After completing the verification exercise over the first two months, officials of the electricity supply companies (Escoms) compiled a list of consumers who had been missed during the drive. The Escoms then sent multiple reminders via SMS and WhatsApp, urging them to submit the required documents at a convenient time and sign an acknowledgement. However, several consumers declined to comply with govt’s verification requirements.N Shivashankara, IAS, managing director of Bescom, said: “It was difficult to convince some households, particularly those living in large apartment complexes. 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.”
TOI’s report highlights the challenges faced by Escom employees in completing the door-to-door verification of Gruha Jyothi scheme beneficiaries.
According to energy department data accessed by TOI up to May 2026, Karnataka has 2.1 crore domestic consumers, of whom 1.8 crore had registered for the Gruha Jyothi scheme. “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.TOI had earlier reported, in its Aug 29 edition, on the challenges Escom staff faced during the verification drive.Officials have recorded the statements of consumers unwilling to participate in the verification process and are awaiting further directions from govt.“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. However, we are unsure how to proceed with those refusing to share their details. 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 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. We will proceed based on the govt’s decision,” he said.
