Karnataka Government Proposes Life Certificate Mandate for Gruha Lakshmi Scheme
The Karnataka government is actively considering a significant policy change to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, its flagship welfare program. Officials are planning to make the submission of periodic 'life certificates' mandatory for all beneficiaries to continue availing monthly financial benefits. This move comes in direct response to a troubling discovery: approximately 1.5 lakh registered beneficiaries, who are now deceased, are still receiving the monthly Rs 2,000 handout intended for women heads of poor families.
Addressing a Critical Leakage in Welfare Distribution
The initiative follows a recent directive from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. Senior state officials have now begun formal consultations to introduce a specific clause within the scheme's guidelines. The proposed clause would require beneficiaries to periodically prove they are alive to maintain eligibility, mirroring the existing system for pensioners who must submit annual life certificates.
The core objective is to ensure that the substantial cash transfers under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme are strictly limited to eligible, living beneficiaries. Since its launch in June 2023, the scheme has registered an impressive 1.2 crore beneficiaries. However, officials have acknowledged that over two lakh of these registered individuals have passed away, with a proper audit still pending to finalize the exact numbers.
Current Challenges and Financial Implications
Dinesh Gooligowda, Vice-Chairman of the Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee, provided stark details. He confirmed that benefits are currently being transferred into the bank accounts of nearly 1.5 lakh deceased beneficiaries. "Under the scheme's rules, if a beneficiary dies, the benefit is supposed to be transferred to the next senior-most woman member in the family," Gooligowda explained. "However, there are numerous instances where family members have not reported the death. Consequently, the money transferred to these accounts either lies unclaimed or, in some cases, is withdrawn by family members using UPI platforms."
The financial scale of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme is immense. The government spends approximately Rs 2,500 crore every month on this single guarantee. To date, 25 instalments have been paid, totaling an expenditure of around Rs 57,000 crore on Gruha Lakshmi alone. Overall, the state has spent a colossal Rs 1.1 lakh crore on its five major guarantee schemes. Preventing leakage to ineligible or deceased beneficiaries is therefore a critical fiscal priority.
Technological and Administrative Solutions Under Consideration
Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh highlighted efforts to leverage technology for a more automated solution. "We have linked the Gruha Lakshmi scheme database with the e-Janma portal," she stated. "This integration is designed to automatically suspend scheme benefits once a death is officially reported in the system."
However, experts caution that technology alone may not provide a complete solution. Economist BDA Satya Babu Bose argued that expecting a fully automatic reporting mechanism for deaths is impractical. "One viable alternative is to conduct periodic surveys at the local level, such as through gram panchayats or ward committees, to identify and weed out ineligible beneficiaries," Bose suggested. "This might be more effective than placing the burden of obtaining a life certificate on the beneficiaries themselves, many of whom are from vulnerable backgrounds."
Vice-Chairman Gooligowda reiterated the government's ultimate goal, stating they are seeking a "foolproof mechanism" to ensure that precious public funds are not wasted or misutilized. The debate now centers on finding the most efficient, humane, and effective method to verify the continued eligibility of millions of beneficiaries, balancing administrative rigor with the practical realities of implementing a massive welfare program.
