Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 8: The Karnataka government has decided to undertake a fresh verification of beneficiaries under its flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme following reports of irregularities, including payments being credited to the bank accounts of nearly one lac deceased beneficiaries.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said a new application form had been prepared to plug the loopholes and ensure that financial assistance reaches the rightful beneficiaries.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Shivakumar said instances of misuse and discrepancies in the implementation of the scheme had come to the government's notice.
"It has come to our attention that the Gruha Lakshmi scheme is also being misused. Money is being credited to the bank accounts of nearly one lac deceased beneficiaries. In some cases, incorrect mobile numbers have been entered, resulting in money being transferred to the accounts of other people. A new application form has been prepared to rectify all these discrepancies. While filling in the form, beneficiaries must submit the correct documents and ensure that they provide their own mobile phone numbers," he said.
The chief minister also acknowledged complaints that outstanding loans were being recovered directly from the bank accounts of beneficiaries, raising concerns over the actual receipt of the promised assistance.
"We are examining all these issues. Around 30 to 35% of beneficiaries have provided mobile numbers belonging to other individuals. We will conduct a survey to listen to their problems and address their concerns," he said.
Referring to a recent survey conducted under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, Shivakumar said several beneficiaries had expressed their unwillingness to continue availing themselves of the scheme's benefits, while some were reluctant to furnish the required documents.
He said the government was also setting up Guarantee Implementation Committees at the grama panchayat level to strengthen the delivery of its guarantee schemes and address beneficiaries' grievances.
"Members of these committees will respond to the concerns of beneficiaries and help resolve their problems," he assured.
Shivakumar said the government had spent Rs 86,838 crore on the Gruha Lakshmi scheme so far. Once the cumulative expenditure reaches Rs 1 lac crore, conventions of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries will be organised in every district of Karnataka.
Recalling the circumstances surrounding the launch of the scheme, he said, "Siddaramaiah and I had visited Mysuru and placed Rs 2,000 at the feet of Goddess Chamundeshwari, praying for her blessings and the strength to implement the Gruha Lakshmi scheme. The people blessed us by giving us 136 seats. We have honoured the promise we made to them."
Reiterating the government's commitment to its guarantee programmes, Shivakumar declared that they would not be discontinued under any circumstances.
"Whatever the circumstances, these schemes will not be stopped. Beneficiaries should not use the Gruha Lakshmi assistance for interest-based lending or chit fund transactions. If such instances come to light, legal action will be initiated," he warned.
'Have women become a burden on the govt?' BJP's Sunil Kumar asks
Meanwhile, the government's position on the Gruha Lakshmi scheme has triggered a political row, with BJP State general secretary V Sunil Kumar accusing the Congress government of treating women beneficiaries as a burden.
He criticised the state government's submission before the Karnataka High Court that financial assistance under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme was not a right of the beneficiaries. He alleged that the government's stand effectively suggested that women had become a burden on the state exchequer.
In a post on 'X', Sunil Kumar questioned whether the Congress had begun viewing its electoral promise as a liability after coming to power.
"During the election campaign, Congress leaders went from house to house promising women Rs 2,000 every month. Has the promise made to women to secure their votes become a burden after coming to power? After promising Rs 24,000 annually, has the government now reached a situation where it cannot even pay the assistance for two months?" he asked.
He further accused the Congress of winning women's confidence through its guarantee schemes only to question their entitlement to the promised money.
"Having gained the trust of women in the name of guarantee schemes, how is it justified to now question their right to the promised money? Women do not need speeches, justifications or arguments in court. They want the promised amount credited to their bank accounts," he said.
Sunil Kumar launched a broader attack on the Congress government led by D K Shivakumar, describing it as one of the most irresponsible governments in Karnataka's history.
"No previous government in the state has behaved with such insensitivity towards farmers and women," he alleged.
'Where has the Gruha Lakshmi scheme's Rs 5,000 crore gone?'
The alleged disappearance of Rs 5,000 crore under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme has also come under renewed scrutiny, with N Ravikumar, chief whip of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, demanding that the government explain the whereabouts of the money.
Ravikumar alleged that despite the issue being raised in the legislature, the government had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
"The issue of Rs 5,000 crore going missing was raised during the Legislative Assembly session held in Belagavi last year. However, the government has not provided an answer so far," he said.
He also questioned the government's argument before the court that financial assistance under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme was not a legal right of beneficiaries.
"When the government itself made the promise and came to power on the basis of that assurance, women have every right to demand the money promised to them. The government cannot deny them that right," he asserted.
Ravikumar further noted that several states had attempted to replicate Karnataka's guarantee schemes, although they had not implemented them in their entirety.
Defending the state's record, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar maintained that Karnataka had emerged as a national model in the implementation of guarantee schemes.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar maintained that Karnataka's guarantee programmes had become a model for the entire country in terms of implementation.