Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka is all set to launch the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme, offering monthly aid of Rs 2,000 each to about 1.1 crore women heads of family, at a function in Mysuru on Wednesday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi will be arriving in Karnataka shortly for the grand inauguration event of the Gruha Laxmi scheme which aims to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000 to women heads of families living below the poverty line (BPL).
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar offered prayers on Tuesday at the famous Chamundeshwari temple in the district headquarters town of Mysuru, where the scheme would be launched by AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge at the function that would also be attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"As many as 1.1 crore women heads of households will be given Rs 2,000 every month," Siddararamaiah told reporters in Mysuru, his home district on Tuesday. The government has earmarked Rs 17,500 crore for 'Gruha Lakshmi' programme in the current financial year. 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme is one of the five pre-poll 'guarantees' of the Congress, which ousted the BJP from power in the Assembly elections held in May.
Around one lakh people are expected to gather at the public function to mark the launch of the flagship scheme. The CM had stressed that it would be a government function in which Kharge and Gandhi would take part in their capacity as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and as Lok Sabha members, respectively.
CM Siddaramaiah highlighted the Gruha Laxmi scheme as a significant project for the nation, with a budget allocation of Rs 32,000 crore for the year. The government is set to incur an expenditure of Rs 18,000 crore for this fiscal year alone. Approximately 13.3 million families, led by women, will benefit from the Rs 2,000 monthly allowance, he said, as per IANS.
With the implementation of guarantee schemes, every family will get Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 in their hands. From this, the purchasing capacity in the society will go up and it will contribute to the growth of the economy and GDP. It will also create jobs, CM Siddaramaiah maintained.
The state government has already implemented three of the five 'guarantees' (pre-poll promises) -- 'Shakti', 'Gruha Jyothi' and 'Anna Bhagya' -- and 'Gruha Lakshmi' is the fourth one. The fifth one is the 'Yuva Nidhi' scheme that promises to provide unemployment allowance to the state's youth. The Congress government in Karnataka also completed 100 days on August 27.
What Is The Gruha Laxmi Guarantee Scheme?
The Griha Lakshmi scheme, which was announced by the Congress in the run-up to the assembly elections in Karnataka earlier this year, is the world’s biggest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme for women. According to the Congress party, the scheme is likely to benefit around 1.11 crore women in the state.
Under the scheme, Rs 2,000 each will be transferred to 1.11 crore women heads of families. Next year the number of beneficiaries is expected to go up to 1.3 crore, and the party has readied Rs 30,000 crore for the DBT scheme.
Though women from families below and above the poverty line are eligible, a new clause says it can be availed only by those families that do not file goods and services tax (GST) and income tax returns. Antyodaya cardholders are also eligible. The Antyodaya scheme gives subsidised food to the poor.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier said that the scheme is expected to cost the state Rs 30,000 crore. The BJP has questioned the viability of the funding source. The Siddaramaiah government has already started a free bus services for women, payment in lieu of 5 kg rice, and 200 units of free power to households.
