From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 8: All preparations are underway for the launch of Congress government’s two key guarantees Gruhajyoti from August 1 and Gruhalakshmi from August 17-18 in the State.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a high-level meeting of senior officials in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday to review all the preparations for the implementation of two main guarantees aimed at helping women and domestic electricity consumers.

The process of submitting applications and their processing must be simple and swift so as to avoid delays, Siddaramaiah instructed officials.

The Chief Minister said the entire system of submitting applications and their processing must be kept very simple without insisting on too many needless documents, he said and directed that rejection of any applications for the guarantees by the beneficiaries must be based on valid reasons and not flimsy excuses.

With large number of beneficiaries expected to submit applications online with necessary documents, the Chief Minister asked the e-Administration officials to immediately ensure that the capacity of the Seva Sindhu portal must be enhanced to cope with rush.

Gruhajyoti launch from Kalaburgi on Aug 1

The Chief Minister said the government was thinking of making the formal launch of Gruhajyoti guarantee from Kalaburgi, the home district of AICC Chief Mallikarjuna Kharge, on August 1.

He instructed the officials to remove all the doubts and snags in the implementation and be ready to create public awareness on the guarantee.

Gruhajyoti guarantee applications can be submitted through the Seva Sindhu portal and help desks will be established in the offices of the ESCOMS across the State as well as Bengaluru One and Karnataka One services. Applications can be submitted online from home through computers or even mobile phones. The officers must be prepared for all these challenges, he said.

For owners of new houses and new tenants, the free electricity entitlement will be based on the State’s average for domestic consumers over a year, the Chief Minister said.

All the domestic consumers have been given time till September 30 to clear all their arrears. The tenants need to have RR Numbers, rental/lease agreement, Aadhaar or IDs showing the same address must be provided. They can even provide ECI voters IDs with the same address.

Gurhalakshmi launch from Belagavi

The Chief Minister said the Gruhalakshmi gurantee launch is likely to be held on August 17 or 18 at Belagavi and the process of submitting applications will commence from June 15.

The applications can be submitted through the Seva Sindhu portal and also from Nad offices in the districts, for which separate counters will be opened.

Siddaramaiah said the applicants must provide details of ration card number and Aadhaar card number of the woman head of the family as well as that of the husband with Aadhaar linked bank account details. The documents can be uploaded also through online. The benefit of Rs 2,000 per month will be directly credited to bank account under the DBT scheme.

Over 85 per cent of families will benefit from the scheme. Even non-tax paying APL card holders are entitled to the scheme, Siddaaramaiah said.

State Energy Minister K J George, Women and Child Welfare Minister Anjali Nimbalkar, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, Chief Minister’s Additional Chief Secretary Dr Rajneesh Goel, Energy Department Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, Women and Child Welfare Department Secretary Dr N Manjula, Revenue Department Secretary Rajendar Kumar Kataria, Chief Minister’s Secretary N Jayaram, Finance Department Secretary P C Jaffer, E-Administration Department Director Meena Nagaraj and other senior officials attended the meeting.