After Gruhalakshmi Review, Karnataka Govt Puts Gruha Jyothi, Shakti Schemes Under Scanner

Bengaluru: After reviewing the most popular guarantee scheme of the Karnataka government -- Gruhalakshmi, where every woman in the State would get a direct transfer of ₹ 2000 per month, the government has decided to review two more of its guarantee schemes.

Now, the `Gruha Jyothi', a scheme to provide 200 units of free power to every house  in the State and `Shakti', the free government bus travel to all women guarantee schemes are under the scanner of the government.

Now, the government has decided to make a house to house survey and decide on the deserved beneficiaries of Gruha Jyothi scheme and issue a pass under Shakti scheme for the beneficiary women, who can travel free in the KSRTC buses.

Speaking to the media here, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that there were two types of allegations in both the schemes. Under Gruha Jyothi, the government had offered free  200 unit electricity to only residential purposes. However, it had come to the notice of the Energy Department that some of the commercial establishments were also availing the same benefit of 200 units of free power.

As far as the Shakti scheme was concerned, every woman travelling in the KSRTC was travelling free by showing their Aadhar card. ``We had announced the scheme for the benefit of Karnataka people. However, even the tourists and outsiders were using the scheme,which would be a loss for the organisation. So, the government has decided to review the beneficiaries and extend it to only the Karnataka people,'' he said.

``The government will not allow the guarantee schemes to be misused by anyone. We appeal to the affluent people and the APL card holders to surrender the guarantee scheme, so that the government can invest them in the developmental works. The schemes are meant for people of Karnataka and not for the people who have come down to Karnataka from other places. Such places will be receiving government benefits from both the states. So, the government has decided that the guarantee and any government benefits would be extended to the persons whose names figure in the voters' list,'' Shivakumar added.

During the 2023 elections, the Congress had made five major `guarantee schemes'  in its election manifesto, including free 10 kg rice and other cooking material for BJP card holders. After major discrepancies cropped up in the system, the scheme was reviewed. Meanwhile, the Gruha Lakshmi scheme also ran into rough weather with the CAG pointing out glaring discrepancies and the government reviewed the beneficiary list. Now, two more schemes have come under the scanner.    

Published on: Wednesday, July 01, 2026, 07:29 PM IST