People highlighted the benefits of guarantee schemes while pointing out the difficulties they face due to improper implementation.
Published May 20, 2025 | 8:33 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2025 | 9:19 AM
Members of the Congress government in Karnataka launch the Shakti Scheme on 11 July, 2023. (BMTCinfo/Facebook)
Synopsis: The Congress government in Karnataka believes that its five guarantee schemes have been a huge success and has decided to continue them without fail. While people noted that the schemes are beneficial to them, many of them pointed out the improper implementation.
The Congress government set the stage in Hosapete in the Vijayanagara district to celebrate on Tuesday, 20 May, its second anniversary in office. The grand old party believes that the five guarantee schemes — promised in its manifesto ahead of the 2023 Assembly election — have been a huge success and has decided to continue them without fail.
Even as the state government has been decrying the Union government over the lack of proper allocation of central funds, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have affirmed that Karnataka has sufficient budgetary resources to continue the five guarantee schemes. The five schemes — Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti and Yuvanidhi — were launched between June and August 2023.
In a recent conversation with the media in the Koppal district, Siddaramaiah assured the people that there is enough budget for the five guarantee schemes. “Last year, I had allocated ₹52,009 crore in the budget, and this year, I have allocated ₹50,018 crore for the schemes.”
Similarly, Shivakumar has been repeatedly stating that the guarantee schemes are a success. Recently, he said, “There is no dearth of funds for guarantee schemes. We have empowered women and youth through our guarantee schemes. Over ₹50,000 crore has been separately allocated for these schemes.”
However, in March 2025, BJP leaders slammed Congress for diverting 24.1 percent of the funds for the Scheduled Caste (SC) Plan and Schedule Tribe (ST) sub-plan worth ₹13,435 crore to the five guarantee schemes. BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayan Swamy said, “By diverting the funds meant for SC and ST towards guarantee schemes, the government is snatching away their rights.”
Amid debates surrounding the guarantee schemes, South First spoke to some beneficiaries in Bengaluru to understand how they perceive them. While people noted that the schemes are beneficial to them, many of them pointed out the improper implementation.
Launched on 11 June 2023, the Congress government believes the Shakti scheme — offering free travel for women across the state in government buses — to be the most successful among its five guarantees. According to this scheme, women who are residents of Karnataka, including transgenders, can travel free of cost if they provide valid proof of residence.
This scheme applies to state-owned buses of different corporations in Karnataka, except AC buses and interstate buses. When this scheme was launched by the state government, Siddaramaiah and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had said that it was meant to empower women and was expected to benefit over 42 lakh women.
In the 2023-24 state budget, the government allocated ₹4,000 crore for the Shakti scheme and ₹3,000 crore in 2024-25. The state government had said that a total of 264.90 crore free rides have been availed by women in Karnataka since the launch of the scheme till 8 August 2024.
Mamatha Gowda, a private company employee who travels from RT Nagar to Trinity Circle in Bengaluru, told South First that even though the scheme has been benefiting her, it has caused an unnecessary rush in buses.
“I agree the scheme has empowered women, but it has been causing unnecessary rush in buses. Before the Shakti scheme was launched, buses did not have this much rush. Now it is tough for regular commuters to travel. Since it is free for women, everybody wants to travel everywhere in buses. While heading to the office in the morning, I have to leave as early as possible. Otherwise, I have to wait for a long time since every other bus is too crowded,” she said.
“Evenings are also similar. I urge the government to add more buses to see the real impact of the scheme. More buses with more seats and better facilities can help people,” she noted.
Jayamma, a flower vendor who lives in Nagarbhavi, told South First that the scheme has helped her save money, but the heavy rush sometimes causes her to miss getting down at her destination.
“I travel at least four times a week to get flowers from KR Market. While heading to the market, a fellow vendor drops me off there. I travel in a BMTC bus when I return from the market. The scheme has helped me save money. But in peak hours, buses get too crowded and sometimes I miss my bus stop since people stand at the doors and don’t provide space for others to get down.”
Although the scheme mandates that half of the seats must be reserved for men in every bus, only a few seats are left for men when they travel.
Anthony Das, a daily commuter from Koramangala to Binnamangala, told South First, “We need to fight with ladies for seats in the bus. Despite stickers showing seats meant for men, women occupy them — even though I, and others, pay ₹1,200 for a BMTC monthly pass. If the government wants to continue the Shakti scheme, they must have more buses on the road. Otherwise, it will be tough for men to travel long distances by bus. The ladies leave the seats only if the men are senior citizens. Conductors also don’t interfere because they fear that they will get recorded over the phone.”
Swathi M, another commuter, said, “The frequency of buses has to increase as the rush is too much. Several buses don’t stop at the designated stops since they are crowded and cannot accommodate more passengers. There are times when we have to wait for more than an hour since the Shakti scheme has attracted unnecessary attention from women who don’t go to work.”
As of May 2025, BMTC operates a fleet of 6,835 buses, including electric ones. Recently, BMTC announced the addition of 760 new buses to its fleet, including 320 AC electric buses and 148 non-AC electric buses.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s Audit Report for BMTC 2024 states that the corporation does not even have the Service Level Benchmark (SLB) of 0.6 buses per 1,000 people set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for urban transport in Indian cities. The annual fleet shortage increased from 914 buses in 2017–18 to 1,998 buses in 2021–22.
The Anna Bhagya scheme was implemented to provide free rice to Karnataka residents who fall in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. Initially launched in 2013 during Siddaramaiah’s first term as the chief minister, it promised free 7 kg of rice per person per month. The quantity was increased to 10 kg of rice per person per month after he assumed governance again, in 2023.
According to Congress leaders, the quantity was increased to enhance its reach and effectiveness. Initially, due to procurement challenges, the government provided five kg of rice and ₹170 — ₹34 for one kg of rice — per person per month.
From March 2025, the government started providing 10 kg of rice. According to government data, there are 4.21 crore beneficiaries under this scheme.
Varsha Naidu, a resident of Vibhutipura, expressed doubts about vendors siphoning off government-allotted rice.
“The Anna Bhagya scheme is a good one, provided that the supply of rice to beneficiaries is regular. This year, in January, February, and March, we received only five kilograms of rice per person. There are four members in our family. After we complained to the local MLA, the ration shop began providing the full 40 kilograms for four people,” she told South First.
“This is not the first time we have been given less rice. It keeps happening — probably because the ration shop person sells it to other vendors. Earlier, they used to provide us with cooking oil and sugar as well. Now, all of that has stopped,” she added.
Saroja (59), another resident of Vibhutipura, said, “The government deposited money into our accounts without fail in the first two years in place of five kg rice to every member of the family. Now, we get 40 kg of rice for four people in our family. However, I face a problem every month; I procure rice from the ration shop in Vibhutipura, but I have to travel to Ramesh Nagar to give my thumb impression. I have raised this complaint with the ration shop owner several times, but it falls on deaf ears. Otherwise, everything is fine and the scheme has benefited people like us who are daily wagers.”
Syed Pasha, another beneficiary, also had good words for the scheme but noted that people have to put up a fight with the ration shop owners to get the full quantity of rice.
“In April, I was supposed to get 30 kilos for three members in our family, but I got 17 kilos. After I raised my voice and told them that I would complain to the officials, they gave me 30 kg in May. The higher officials or the government must randomly visit these shops and inspect them to see if they are supplying the right quantity of rice or not,” he told South First.
Besides helping women reclaim their spaces in public through free bus services across the state, for the first time in Karnataka, the Congress took an initiative to provide ₹2,000 per month to women who are heads of the households. It was announced in January 2023 and came into force in July 2023.
The state has allocated a total budget of ₹28,608 crore for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme in 2024-25. According to government data, over 1.17 crore women registered for the scheme till January 2024and the government has spent over 11,000 crore for this scheme.
Susheela M, who works in a restaurant, said, “The scheme is a good one, especially to empower women like us who have a meagre salary or are daily wagers.
“However, I don’t rely on it because they have either delayed the payments or missed them several times since its initiation. For instance, in January and February, they delayed our payments. We keep calling their helpline only to get a response will be file will be cleared, and we would get our payment.”
“The money under this scheme is helpful, but if we have any financial commitments, we cannot rely on it. We have to work no matter what.”
Shanthamma J, a widow in her 70s, is another beneficiary. She said, “The government provides me widow’s pension and money under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme. However, these days, both are delayed. Earlier, the widow’s pension of ₹800 per month was paid on time. After the introduction of Gruha Lakshmi, even that money is delayed by the government. That is a permanent scheme, so they cannot fail to pay that to women like us who can’t go out for work. The money provided is helpful for medicine and the monthly expenses of the household.”
Safiya Bi, another beneficiary, also spoke about the delay in payments and how women struggled to link their bank account along with their Aadhar card. In the initial days of its introduction, I went to the bank almost every day to link my account along with the Aadhaar card. There were long queues of women lined up to apply for this scheme. Even now, when the payment is delayed, the government officials tell us to check if our accounts are linked with Aadhar,” she said.
“Last year, I received two months’ payment together. However, the government must make sure to pay it every month rather than delaying it. Only then would women benefit from the scheme,” she added.
Under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, the government provides free electricity up to 200 units to the residents of Karnataka, having a domestic or residential connection, one meter per household.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced ₹10,100 crore from the state budget to the Energy Supply Corporations Limited (ESCOMs) for the scheme for 2024-25. Last year, the state had allocated ₹9,657 crore for the ESCOMs. He had also said that over 1.62 crore people had registered under the scheme.
Mudanna (67), who runs a grocery store in Vijayanagar, told South First, “The scheme has been beneficial to us because I don’t have to pay even a single rupee towards the electricity bill for my residence. Earlier, I used to pay ₹900-₹1000 per month for electricity.”
Shaktivel, a resident of Ulsoor, told South First, “There was some confusion when I initially applied for Gruha Jyothi. I thought the entire bill would be free for us. However, the officials in BESCOM told me it is free only up to 200 units. Now, I get to pay between ₹91 and ₹210 depending on the consumption. Overall, it is a good scheme to encourage people to take electricity connections, especially in rural areas.”
Drakshayini M, another resident of Ulsoor, said, “All five schemes have been beneficial to people. Shakthi and Gruha Jyothi are the ones who are helping us every month without fail. We can use the same money for other investments like chit funds or save it for our children’s future. Our electricity bill is sometimes ₹30 or sometimes between ₹50 and ₹100 only.”
Under the Yuva Nidhi scheme, the state government has been providing ₹3,000 per month to graduates and ₹1,500 to diploma holders since 2023, for up to two years or until they find employment.
According to government data, there are over 1,74 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme till January 2025, and the government has spent up to ₹24 crore since its initiation on 12 January 2024.
Lankesh K, a native of Haveri who is currently preparing for competitive exams in Bengaluru, said, “I am a BE civil engineering graduate. This scheme has been helpful to youngsters like me as I get ₹3,000 in the form of financial assistance from the government. I am happy about it because it covers my monthly food expenses. However, there is no guarantee that you will receive it every month. They delay most payments. Last year, I had received ₹9,000 at once because they had delayed payment for three months.”
He added that the government missed payments for some months.
Manjunath S, another aspirant studying for competitive exams, also opined that the scheme is good for youngsters.
“The government must appoint an official specially to see if the payments are being done regularly. Overall, the schemes are good and Yuva Nidhi has helped me a lot,” he told South First, adding, “I must clear my exams by the end of this year because Yuva Nidhi would provide money for only two years. After that, I don’t want to be asking for money at home.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
