'Karnataka Not Gone Bankrupt': Congress Govt Launches Gruha Lakshmi Scheme

The Karnataka government launched the Gruha Lakshmi scheme to provide financial assistance to women in the state.

The Congress government in Karnataka launched the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme in Mysuru on Wednesday, 30 August.

(Photo: X)

The Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday, 30 August, launched the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme – wherein women heads of households are given monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000 – in Mysuru.

Speaking at the launch, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "During my interactions with women during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, I realised the rise in prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG were hitting them hard." At least 1.1 crore women – who are non-taxpayers – are set to benefit from the scheme, and the government has set aside Rs 17,500 crore for the same in the current financial year. 

Karnataka's Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar interacts with women during the launch. Only one woman in a family will be the beneficiary, and the applicant must be a resident of Karnataka. 

Studies point out that 92 percent of women in the working age group (15 to 64 years) perform unpaid work daily, whereas only 27 percent of men do the same.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses the gathering at Maharajas College grounds in Mysuru. As per a National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) time-use survey published in 2020, women spend nearly 299 minutes doing unpaid housework every day, while men spend just 97 minutes.

Karntaka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and other Congress leaders at the launch of the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme. "Contrary to the claims made by our critics, our government has successfully implemented our pre-poll promises. Karnataka has not gone bankrupt as they had predicted," said Siddaramaiah.

Recently, Laxmi Hebbalkar had pointed out that the scheme isn't anti-men, but in fact helps men and the economy as well.

(In photo: Siddharamaiah with Laxmi Hebbalkar)

In fact, in 2021, the Supreme Court, while determining the income of a non-earning victim – a homemaker – in an accident case, had observed that the "labour, services, and sacrifices of homemakers contribute to the economic condition of the family, and the economy of the nation, in a very real way."