Bengaluru: Facing fire over crores being credited to the bank accounts of deceased Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries, the state govt Monday said it had recovered around 36% of the wrongly paid Rs 117.5 crore and was working to recover the rest.Chief minister D K Shivakumar Monday reviewed the implementation of various guarantee schemes at a meeting with the State Guarantee Committee chairperson and other members. Officials told him that around Rs 42 crore had been recovered from the Rs 117.5 crore deposited in the accounts of deceased beneficiaries.Guarantee Committee member and MLC Dinesh Gooligowda said: “According to records, 1.99 lakh beneficiaries were found to be dead and their statuses were not updated on govt records. Due to this, the govt had deposited Rs 117.5 crore to their accounts. We have recovered Rs 42 crore, and the remaining amount will also be recovered soon.”The irregularities came to light after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged payments made to beneficiaries who were no more, raising questions over beneficiary verification and monitoring. The state govt, too, has admitted to irregularities in the scheme’s implementation, giving fresh ammunition to the opposition’s charges of financial misgivings.Now in its third year, Gruha Lakshmi provides a monthly grant of Rs 2,000 to the female head of every eligible household in Karnataka.Don’t stop payments: CMAs the govt prepares to release the 33rd monthly instalment of Gruha Lakshmi just ahead of the festive season, there is some uncertainty over whether the ongoing verification exercise will affect payouts. However, Shivakumar directed officials not to withhold payments, saying the verification process should not come in the way of disbursal.The CM also approved a proposal to hold a mega convention in Bengaluru of members of guarantee implementation committees from across Karnataka. Around 1,450 office-bearers serve on these committees.BOXGruha Jyothi: Verification deadline extendedDays after TOI reported a mounting backlog in verification of Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries across Karnataka, the state govt Monday extended the deadline by another month. The exercise will now continue until end-Sept.The decision comes after electricity supply company (Escom) officials could complete only 70% of the verification work, as they were reportedly denied entry into several apartment complexes and gated communities.Escoms are also set to begin filtering beneficiaries from this month. Sources said the govt is likely to retain only those beneficiaries who are registered as voters in Karnataka.
