Karnataka Govt Misled House On ₹2,000 Aid To Women, Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar Admits Lapse

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government, which often boasts of extending five guarantee schemes to the economically backward people was caught on the wrong foot, misleading the house by giving wrong information on ₹2000 file for women in the state.

On Wednesday, Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, who had earlier contended that the government had disbursed 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme money to women, admitted and apologised to the house that the government had not paid money for the months of February and March, 2025.

In the ongoing winter session, BJP member Mahesh Tenginakayi had asked if the government was paying ₹2000 to all the women in the state under Bhagya Lakshmi scheme. Lakshmi Hebbalkar had replied that the government had cleared the dues till October and would be soon disbursing the money for November and December months.

However, Tenginakayi gave statistics of seven districts, where the women had not received money for February and March months and sought to know why such discrimination was mated to these women. Lakshmi Hebbalkar, who sought two days time to check, admitted before the house that the money had not been released to the entire state for February and March months.

This led to a heated argument before the opposition BJP and ruling Congress members, when Hebbalkar had to apologize to the house. Hebbalkar said that she had no intention of either furnishing wrong information or misleading the house. However, the officials had not brought this issue to her notice, she added.