Locked homes slow BESCOM Gruha Jyothi checks in east Bengaluru

Locked homes, apartment complexes and gated communities are delaying BESCOM’s Gruha Jyothi beneficiary verification drive, particularly in east Bengaluru and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area Zone.

With two days left in the two-month verification window, BESCOM had verified about 66% of its 68.9 lakh beneficiaries. Officials estimate that about 20% of the consumers yet to be covered are in locked homes, apartment communities or away in other cities or abroad.

Verification also slowed in August as meter readers balanced field visits with their regular monthly billing work. Officials said many working residents were unavailable when teams visited.

BESCOM managing director N Shiva Shankara said staff can mark a home as “door-locked” through the utility’s mobile app after three unsuccessful visits. The consumer then receives an SMS and can contact divisional engineers or other officials to arrange a convenient time for verification.

Across Karnataka, the five electricity supply companies had verified about 1.2 crore of nearly 1.7 crore Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries. The utilities are seeking state government approval for a one-month extension to complete the process.