While the Energy Department is conducting its door-to-door survey for the Gruha Jyothi guarantee scheme, around 82,000 households have either not provided details or have requested extra time to produce documents, including voter ID or other documents.

Officials from the Energy Department stated that this is not the final number as the survey is yet to be completed.

“While the majority of these consumers have refused to provide any details, others have asked for some time to produce essential documents such as voter ID or other documents. To those who have refused to provide information, our meter readers informed them that they would lose the scheme’s benefits, and they agreed to it. For other beneficiaries, meter readers will visit their houses again for verification of documents,” an official said. This represents only one month’s verification data and is not the final figure, the official added.

The official said that 90% of the households that refused to provide information fall under Bescom’s jurisdiction. Only 87,81,590 door-to-door verifications have been completed across the State since its launch on July 1. The Gruha Jyothi scheme currently has 1.65 crore beneficiaries.

While the deadline to complete the survey is August 31, the Energy Department is struggling to meet the target because of server issues and the limited number of meter readers tasked with carrying out the exercise. Only 21,602 meter readers have been deployed for the verification drive. When asked whether the deadline would be extended, a department official said, “There are no such plans as of now.”