Karnataka Government Plans Stricter Gruha Lakshmi Verification to Ensure Benefits Reach Eligible Women

The Karnataka government has announced major changes to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme as part of an effort to ensure that financial assistance reaches only eligible beneficiaries. The revised verification process was discussed and approved during the latest cabinet meeting, with biometric authentication set to become a key requirement for receiving the monthly benefit.

Gruha Lakshmi is one of the flagship welfare schemes of the Karnataka government, providing financial assistance of Rs 2000 every month to the woman head of an eligible household. However, complaints about ineligible individuals receiving benefits have prompted the government to strengthen the verification process.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said beneficiaries will now have to complete biometric authentication to continue receiving payments. He also stressed that the registered mobile number must belong to the beneficiary herself so that all official communication reaches the correct person.

The government has further clarified that the financial assistance must be credited directly into the bank account of the eligible woman. Payments should not be transferred to the accounts of husbands, children, or any other family members. Officials believe this step will improve transparency and ensure the intended beneficiary receives the support.

To implement the revised system, the government will carry out a fresh verification of beneficiaries across the state. A dedicated team will visit households to collect updated information and verify beneficiary details. According to the Chief Minister, around Rs 20 crore has been allocated for this exercise, and officials have already discussed the format of the verification process.

The government has made it clear that the objective is not to remove genuine beneficiaries from the scheme. Instead, the focus is on ensuring that every eligible woman receives the assistance without errors or misuse. Authorities say the revised process is intended to improve the efficiency and credibility of the programme.

As part of the initiative, the state has launched a verification drive known as Operation Gruha Lakshmi. The campaign aims to identify genuine beneficiaries while removing names that are no longer eligible for the scheme.

Officials said the welfare programme currently covers more than 1.20 crore beneficiaries across Karnataka. During the verification process, the names of deceased beneficiaries have already been removed from the list. So far, nearly 4.30 lakh records have reportedly been deleted, a move that is expected to save the government hundreds of crores of rupees by preventing payments to ineligible accounts.

The revised verification measures are expected to strengthen the implementation of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme while ensuring that public funds are directed to the women for whom the programme was originally designed. The government is expected to begin the updated verification process in the coming weeks.