Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular) on Wednesday, July 1, launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka government over the revised verification process for beneficiaries under the Gruha Jyothi free electricity scheme, alleging that the Congress government is attempting to reduce the number of beneficiaries by imposing new conditions.
In a post on X, the JDS alleged that the Congress had promised free electricity without conditions before coming to power but was now introducing additional requirements after “emptying the state treasury.”
The party questioned the need for documents such as PAN cards and caste-related details during the door-to-door verification being conducted by ESCOM officials.
“Why is a PAN card required to receive free electricity? What is the connection between an electricity connection and a caste certificate? Aren’t Aadhaar or Voter ID sufficient to establish that a person is a resident of Karnataka?” the party asked.
The JDS alleged that the government was deliberately introducing indirect conditions to reduce the number of beneficiaries, thereby depriving thousands of poor and middle-class families of the scheme’s benefits.
The party also accused the government of forcing ordinary citizens, farmers and middle-class households to repeatedly visit government offices by demanding additional documents, describing it as harassment in the name of verification.
Responding to the allegations, Energy Minister KJ George denied that caste certificates were mandatory for the scheme.
He clarified that only ineligible beneficiaries would be removed after verification, while all eligible consumers would continue to receive free electricity.
“There is no requirement to submit a caste certificate. Beneficiaries only need to mention their caste in the relevant column. The opposition is making allegations without even examining the verification form,” George said.
He maintained that the verification exercise was intended only to identify ineligible beneficiaries and ensure that the benefits reach genuine consumers.
