Karnataka BJP alleges ₹5,000 crore lapse in Gruha Laxmi payments, demands immediate disbursal after Congress admits delay in Assembly
Belagavi
After the Congress-led Karnataka government admitted in the Legislative Assembly that there was a lapse in disbursing Gruhalakshmi scheme installments, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka alleged that nearly ₹5,000 crore would have gone undetected had the BJP not raised the issue.
Speaking to reporters after staging a walkout from the Assembly, Ashoka questioned Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, asking why women beneficiaries were “cheated.” He said people of the state, especially the poor, were waiting for Gruha Laxmi payments and ration supplies, but the government had disappointed them.
Ashoka demanded immediate crediting of the pending amounts to beneficiaries’ accounts. He alleged that funds were not released to 10 districts and claimed officials at district offices were threatened and instructed not to share information. Accusing the government of attempting to “swallow” ₹5,000 crore, he asked whether it was a “government of loot.”
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi, who raised the issue in the House, said the Opposition spoke on behalf of 1.26 crore women beneficiaries. He pointed out inconsistencies in the government’s figures, noting a difference of two lakh beneficiaries compared to earlier statements.
Tenginakayi said officials had initially confirmed that payments for February and March were pending but later changed their stand after the issue was raised in the Assembly. The controversy followed dramatic scenes in the Assembly, after which Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar apologised for the lapse in disbursement amid strong protests by BJP legislators.
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“The poor wait for the Gruha Laxmi money and for their ration. But the government has poured cold water on their hopes.” Oppn Leader, R Ashoka
Hebbalkar admits two months’ Gruhalakshmi payments pending
Belagavi Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar on Wednesday acknowledged that payments under the Gruhalakshmi scheme are pending for two months and expressed regret that her earlier statement in the Assembly was incorrect. She said a review revealed that two months’ assistance remains unpaid in the 2024–25 financial year. Hebbalkar assured the House that the reasons for the delay would be examined and corrected soon. If her statement had caused confusion, she said, she sincerely regretted it.
