Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar assures Gruha Lakshmi and Jyothi schemes will continue

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of Karnataka reiterated that the state’s welfare guarantee programmes—Gruha Lakshmi and Gruha Jyothi—will not be discontinued. He said the ongoing verification of beneficiaries is intended to eliminate fraudulent claims, not to cancel the schemes, stating “Verification does not mean cancellation.”

The government has launched a fresh registration process, asking current recipients to re‑apply from August 15 to confirm eligibility. Under the new guidelines, the Gruha Lakshmi cash assistance will be given only to the woman head of a household, and any family receiving multiple payments risk having benefits cut. Officials aim to weed out false records, including cases where benefits were claimed using the names of deceased persons.

Opposition parties have alleged that over 1.1 lakh women could be excluded, accusing the Congress‑led administration of reneging on pre‑election promises. The CM dismissed these claims as “false propaganda” and urged beneficiaries not to panic, assuring that “Guarantee is there, guarantee will be there!”

The controversy has sparked political debate in Karnataka, with Congress leaders defending the programmes and warning that any perception of scaling back could damage public trust and become a weapon for rivals.