The Haveri and Chitradurga districts recorded the highest number of registrations (88 percent), while Bengaluru recorded the lowest (68 percent).
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi symbolically handed over digital cards of Gruha Lakshmi to beneficiaries in Mysuru on Wednesday. (Supplied)
Within around 100 days in office, the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Karnataka can claim to have successfully launched four out of its five primary poll guarantees.
The Congress government launched the fourth of its poll guarantee — the Gruha Lakshmi Yojana — at the Maharaja College Ground in Mysuru on Wednesday, 30 August.
With this, the Siddaramaiah government has launched Anna Bhagya, Gruha Jyothi, Shakti, and Gruha Lakshmi schemes, which it promised ahead of the May 2023 Assembly polls.
The Siddaramaiah government has already implemented three guarantees: Shakti on 11 June, Anna Bhagya on 11 July, and Gruha Jyothi on 5 August.
Its last guarantee of Yuva Nidhi — unemployment stipends — is expected to be launched in December this year or January next year.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi inaugurated Gruha Lakshmi — a scheme that guarantees monthly financial assistance of ₹2,000 each to 1.1 crore women heads of families.
This is said to be the country’s largest direct monetary benefit transfer catering to women with the aim of universal basic income (UBI).
The government also released a booklet highlighting its achievements over the past 100 days.
Doddamahadevamma, Shoba Rani, Mohseen Taj, Asha, Anitha, Banashankri, Bhagy, Ashwini, Pushpalatha, and Smita were the first beneficiaries to receive the digital cards in Mysuru.
The scheme was simultaneously launched at over 12,000 places in all 31 districts. District in-charge ministers presided over the inaugural ceremony.
“A total of 1.1 crore beneficiaries have registered for the scheme. Haveri and Chitradurga districts recorded the highest registrations with 88 percent of women heads of families registering for the scheme,” according to the state’s Department of Women and Child Welfare.
“Bengaluru saw only 68 percent registrations, which is the lowest in the state. Around 15 lakh applications have been rejected due to technical and documentation issues. However, those whose applications have been rejected are allowed to reapply with proper documents,” officials said.
The state government has set aside ₹39,575 crore to implement the guarantees in the current financial year. Of the total grants, the government has earmarked ₹17,500 crore for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.
The government earlier asked families to decide the women heads to register for the scheme.
The registration for the scheme began on 20 July. Beneficiaries were allowed to register for the scheme in over 11,000 centres including Karnataka One, Bengaluru One, Grama One, and Bapuji Seva Centre.
Addressing the gathering in Mysuru, Kharge said, “The Congress walks the talk. We have adhered to the words spoken well in advance of the elections.”
“When I travelled to other states, many leaders said that the Karnataka model has become a massive success. Similarly, we too will present a new scheme in our state, they said and sought suggestions,” the AICC president said.
“Under the leadership of Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, the Congress government has gained a reputation throughout the country,” he added.
As we complete 100 days in the Karnataka government, it gives us immense satisfaction to launch #GruhaLakshmi guarantee where ₹2000 per month shall be directly transferred to the accounts of more than 1 crore women.
This would give them respite from the unprecedented Price Rise… pic.twitter.com/14MjJzyG58
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 30, 2023
“Narendra Modi, who arrived in the state before the elections along with Amit Shah, made speeches saying that the Congress is telling lies, and the country will go bankrupt. If Modi sees the video of today’s event, he will realise that the Congress party members have indeed executed their promises. The blindfold that clouded his vision will be lifted,” Kharge said.
“He should praise this (initiative) and admit that what he had deemed impossible has been achieved. He should convey this message to other states,” he urged.
AICC former president and Wayanad MP Gandhi asserted that the party had honoured the key pre-poll promises made to the people in Karnataka and that the “work” carried out by the Siddaramaiah-led government would be replicated across the country.
“We have kept our word. We never make false promises. The work we have done in Karnataka will be replicated across India,” he said.
“The five guarantees of the Congress are not just schemes. They are a governance model. Of the five guarantees, four are meant for empowering women,” Gandhi added.
इमारत की ताकत उसकी नींव में होती है।
महिलाएं भारत की नींव हैं – देश उनके सशक्तिकरण से ही मज़बूत होगा।
कर्नाटक को दी गई 5 गारंटी में 4, महिलाओं के लिए खास कर बनी हैं। गृहलक्ष्मी योजना, जो बैंक खातों में ₹2000/महीने पहुंचाएगी, महिलाओं के लिए हिन्दुस्तान की सबसे बड़ी मनी… pic.twitter.com/806gBhoMyL
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 30, 2023
“The Prime Minister had said on many occasions that Congress would not be able to implement the five guarantees. We have already implemented three guarantees. Now a fourth guarantee has been launched. Every woman head of the family will be credited with ₹2,000 per month,” he said after launching the scheme.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said implementing the promises made in election manifestos was the duty of any government.
“It won’t be an exaggeration to say that no government has walked the talk so far,” he said in Mysuru.
“We have the utmost confidence and belief that our government will fulfil all promises we have made. Since July, we have provided free electricity to those using up to 200 units as promised. Around 1.56 crore people have enrolled in this scheme,” Siddaramaiah further said.
“Several leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Congress would not be able to fulfil our promise. He said that Karnataka would go bankrupt if all the five guarantees were implemented. The Gruha Lakshmi Yojana has been launched today. We have implemented four of the five guarantees without hurting the state’s finances. We will launch the fifth guarantee, Yuva Nidhi, in December or January next year,” he told the gathering reiterating that his government had proven its baiters wrong.
“It will cost ₹56,000 crore to implement the guarantees every year. We have proven that ours is a government that cares for the poor, Dalits, backward classes, minority farmers, workers, and youth. Regardless of what the opposition says, we have walked the talk. We have proved that they lie,” the chief minister added.
Ministers Laxmi Hebbalkar, Dr HC Mahadevappa, Dr G Parameshwar, NS Boseraju, N Chaluvarayaswamy, KH Muniyappa, Byrathi Suresh and others were present during the launch ceremony at Mysuru
(With PTI inputs)
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