The Karnataka government on Monday, 20 July launched a statewide door-to-door campaign to deliver free caste certificates and permanent residence certificates to nearly 4.85 crore families, amid sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), who have accused the ruling Congress administration of politicising the voter verification exercise. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar inaugurated the programme — formally titled 'Doorstep Delivery of Free Caste Certificates and Permanent Residence Certificates' — at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, also launching a dedicated website and WhatsApp service for the initiative.

What the Programme Covers

The scheme enables Karnataka residents to obtain two key identity documents at no cost and without visiting government offices. Applications can be submitted online, through Seva Kendras, at facilitation centres set up at the hobli level, or via forms distributed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Chief Minister Shivakumar described it as a landmark administrative reform aimed at reducing bureaucratic friction for ordinary citizens.

Crucially, the permanent residence certificate is among the 11 documents recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for inclusion in electoral rolls — making it a document with direct bearing on voter registration. The Chief Minister stated that the initiative was being implemented in strict adherence to ECI guidelines.

What the Government Said

Addressing the launch gathering, Shivakumar framed the programme as a rights-based intervention. 'Your vote is your right, your vote is your life. Our government guarantees both,' he said. He added that Karnataka has become the first state in the country to undertake doorstep delivery of permanent residence certificates free of cost at this scale.

Pushing back against Opposition allegations of misuse of government machinery, Shivakumar said, 'It is the responsibility of the state government to provide necessary certificates to residents. We are carrying out this exercise beyond politics and with a sense of duty.' He also praised village accountants and Revenue Department officials involved in the rollout.

Opposition Pushback

The BJP and JD(S) have mounted stiff resistance, alleging that the certificate drive is being conflated with the government's voter verification exercise to serve partisan interests. Critics argue that deploying government officials for certificate distribution ahead of electoral exercises raises questions about the neutrality of state machinery. The government has denied these allegations, maintaining that the programme is non-partisan and purely administrative in nature.

Officials Present and What Comes Next

Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Manish Moudgil, Chief Minister's Economic Adviser L.K. Atheeq, and Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Rajendra Kumar Kataria were present at the inauguration. The government has urged citizens to preserve their permanent residence certificates carefully, underscoring their long-term utility for identity verification and democratic participation. With the rollout now live across the state, attention will turn to how efficiently the 4.85 crore target households are reached — and whether the Opposition's legal or political challenges gain traction.