‘Centre works for billionaires’, says Rahul as Karnataka govt unveils 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme

The scheme provides cash assistance of ₹2,000 a month to female heads of households in the state.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday launched the Gruha Lakshmi scheme at Mysuru in the presence of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. The scheme provides cash assistance of ₹2,000 a month to female heads of households in the state.

‘Centre works for billionaires’, says Rahul as K'taka unveils 'Gruha Lakshmi'

Addressing the event, Rahul Gandhi said that the government is focused on empowering women across the state. He said, “If you observe our poll promises here in Karnataka, four out of five schemes are made for women. Our government is committed to empowering women in the state and their welfare is our priority. If the Congress party and its leaders say something, we will do it at any cost.” With a click on the tablet, Gandhi transferred the amount into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of Gruha Lakshmi Yojana, through direct benefit transfer (DBT).

Rahul Gandhi also slammed the Narendra Modi government, alleging it only works for a few billionaires of this country. “The government in Delhi only works for two or three billionaires who are their close friends. Our five schemes in Karnataka are introduced for poor and underprivileged people of the state. Our idea is to make governments work for the people of the country and not for the billionaires,” he added.

According to the Karnataka government, around 1.9 crore women in the state have registered for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme from over 55,000 panchayats in the state. This is also reportedly one of the largest women centric welfare schemes in the country.

The Karnataka government even introduced a WhatsApp chatbot for people of the state to apply for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme without any outdoor hassles. This is the first time for the state government to experiment with the chatbot in a bid to reduce the footfalls at KarnatakaOne and BangaloreOne centres where the physical applications are received.