Published Jun 15, 2026 | 1:49 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 15, 2026 | 3:17 PM
Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar.
Synopsis: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the State government will introduce photo identification for beneficiaries of its guarantee schemes to ensure that benefits reach eligible Karnataka residents, while insisting that the schemes will not be discontinued. He said the move was aimed at preventing misuse and added that the decision was taken by the Cabinet months ago.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday, 15 June, said the Cabinet had decided to mandate proper photo identification for beneficiaries to receive its flagship welfare “guarantee” schemes, but asserted that the government had no plans to discontinue any of them.
“For the guarantee schemes, we need proper photo identification of who is receiving them. In the rush, some people have given somebody else’s phone number. Money is going into somebody else’s account. We want the money to go directly into the correct person’s account. Some other people are withdrawing it. We have records of all that,” Shivakumar said, speaking to reporters.
He said the guarantees were intended for Karnataka residents and claimed that people from other states, who had no voting rights in Karnataka, were also receiving their benefits. He added that the decision had been taken before he assumed charge as Chief Minister.
“We are not giving these guarantees to people from outside the state. Even for bus travel, only those who have voting rights in Karnataka should get it. Why should we give it to those who do not have a vote?” he asked.
“So, we should ensure that the people who are here benefit from them. In the Cabinet, we had already decided that everyone should be given an identification card. We took this decision three months ago, and the procedure is under way. We will now just streamline it.”
The Chief Minister maintained that the schemes have become a model adopted by other states.
“We will not stop the guarantees for anyone, under any circumstances. Stopping them is not our programme. We are a model for the entire country. Our guarantees are a model for the entire country. Maharashtra adopted them, Madhya Pradesh adopted them, Tamil Nadu adopted them, and Andhra Pradesh adopted them. Whichever states went to elections, all of them adopted our guarantees,” he said.
“Because prices have gone sky-high while incomes have fallen sharply. Incomes are falling across the board. In this situation, we will not stop the guarantees for anyone,” he said.
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Earlier last week, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra alleged that the Congress government was attempting to reduce the number of beneficiaries under its guarantee schemes to lessen the financial burden on the State exchequer.
He questioned why the Congress had promised welfare guarantees before the Assembly elections without properly verifying beneficiaries, only to later declare some of the same people ineligible after coming to power.
“During the elections, the Congress party promised the Gruha Lakshmi guarantee to all women, but as soon as it came to power, it started changing its approach. By imposing one condition after another and closing one door after another, it has now reached a point where 1.12 lakh women in 17 districts are being removed from the Gruha Lakshmi beneficiary list. Reports say that, across the state, more than 4.30 lakh women have been excluded from the scheme,” he wrote in a post on X.
“As if that were not enough, this corrupt Karnataka Congress government has now allegedly introduced a new condition: if women want to receive the ₹2,000 benefit, they must undergo biometric verification by paying a ₹5 fee.”
The BJP leader further alleged that ₹5,000 crore meant for the February and March instalments under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, benefiting 1.26 crore women, had not yet been disbursed.
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Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the guarantee schemes would not be stopped under any circumstances and accused the BJP of spreading misinformation.
“The five guarantee schemes will not be stopped under any circumstances. Not just for the next two years – we will return to power in the next election, and the schemes will continue even after that. From the very beginning, we have been working to correct the shortcomings noticed in their implementation, and that process continues even now. Beneficiaries of these schemes need not be anxious by listening to the Opposition’s false propaganda,” he wrote in a post on X.
“The BJP is fundamentally an anti-poor party. It has opposed the guarantee schemes from day one. First, they said it was impossible to implement them. Later, they claimed that the government would go bankrupt due to a lack of funds. Now, they are spreading rumours that the guarantee schemes will be stopped. This only reflects their political frustration.”
He defended the government’s economic record, arguing that the implementation of the schemes had not adversely affected Karnataka’s finances, and accused the BJP of hypocrisy, pointing out that it had rolled out similar schemes in States where it was in power.
“As Chief Minister, I have not only successfully implemented all five schemes in the state, but have also ensured that they do not adversely affect Karnataka’s economy. Today, Karnataka ranks first in the country in per capita income and stands second only to Maharashtra in GST collection. If the treasury were empty and the government were bankrupt, would these achievements have been possible?” he said.
“The BJP, which has been opposing our guarantee schemes, has copied the same model in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal to come to power. What moral right do they have to oppose guarantee schemes? Although the BJP has promised such schemes ahead of elections in some states, it has not been able to implement them fully.”
The Congress leader also supported Shivakumar’s statement that the benefits should reach only eligible beneficiaries and called on people not to misuse the schemes.
“These schemes must reach the truly eligible beneficiaries. When ineligible people misuse them, it is the duty of an elected government to prevent it. Our people must also think about this,” he said.
“Cheating the government out of greed to avail the benefits of guarantee schemes is not only a violation of the law, but also a betrayal of the people of the state.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
