Karnataka govt admits Gruha Laxmi dues lapse; minister apologises after protests, BJP walks out

Belagavi: Following high drama in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the Congress-led government admitted to a lapse in the disbursement of Gruha Laxmi scheme installments. Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar apologised for the error after strong protests by BJP MLAs.

However, the BJP alleged that the government failed to provide a satisfactory explanation and staged a walkout.

The Assembly witnessed intense scenes on Wednesday morning as Bharatiya Janata Party members protested in the well of the House, demanding the presence of Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar over alleged irregularities in Gruha Laxmi scheme payouts.

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The opposition refused to allow the Question Hour to proceed, accusing the Minister of providing false information regarding pending instalments for two months.

After the House resumed, clarifying the issue, Minister Hebbalkar said BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi had earlier raised a question on the Gruha Laxmi scheme. “I informed the House on that day, and I reiterate today that the Gruha Laxmi scheme benefits 1.26 crore women heads of families in the state, under which Rs 2,000 is transferred every month to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), without any middlemen,” she said.

She added that since the scheme’s launch in Karnataka, it has been replicated in other parts of the country. “So far, 23 instalments have been released, and each of the 1.26 crore women beneficiaries has received a total of Rs 46,000. While I was providing these details, opposition members repeatedly pointed out that the February and March instalments had not been released,” the Minister said.

“I stated that payments had been made up to August. I would like to tell the Leader of the Opposition, who is an experienced leader, that rather than engaging in arguments and counter-arguments, I spoke with a sincere intention. This is my first time as a Minister, and I spoke with the intent of doing my job honestly,” she said.

Hebbalkar admitted that while she initially stated the February and March instalments had been paid, a subsequent verification revealed that the payments had not been made.

“When I was questioned repeatedly, I went back and verified the information and found that the February and March instalments were indeed not released,” she said.

“I want to assure senior members of the House that there was no intention to provide incorrect information or mislead the House. As a responsible Minister, I will speak to the Finance Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to ascertain why payments were not made for two months. This does not mean the funds were diverted for other purposes,” she said.

BJP members objected strongly, alleging that the Minister was defending the lapse rather than apologising.

The Minister said there was no intention to mislead the House and that the issue would be rectified. “If anyone has been hurt by this, I regret it,” she said.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said the Minister had admitted to providing incorrect information but had failed to specify when the February and March instalments would be released or to tender an unconditional apology.

Law Minister H.K. Patil said the Minister had expressed regret and urged the House to proceed with other business.

Senior BJP MLA V. Sunil Kumar said that while the lapse may have been unintentional, the government must clarify whether it had failed to release instalments due to financial bankruptcy.

“We agree that the Gruha Laxmi scheme is a good initiative, but why were the instalments not paid on time?” he asked.

Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh countered the BJP, stating that the party did not have the capacity to provide even Rs 1 to the people.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said he was present when the Minister made her statement and added that the Centre owed the state thousands of crores in pending funds. “I cannot say that the Centre has gone bankrupt. BJP and NDA parties are winning elections by copying guarantee schemes,” he said.

BJP members strongly protested and challenged the government to dissolve the Assembly and face elections.

Ashoka demanded that the Minister name the official who had provided incorrect information and admit to the error. Minister Patil responded that the Leader of the Opposition had seriously heard the Minister’s statement and that she had expressed regret.

Senior MLA S. Suresh Kumar insisted that the apology should be unconditional. “What does she mean by ‘if anyone is hurt’? The question is whether she will apologise to the House and to the 1.26 crore beneficiaries,” he said.

Patil said the Minister could not be compelled to confess.

Minister Hebbalkar then said she regretted the error. “If the word ‘regret’ does not sound appropriate, I will tender my apology as well,” she said.

Commenting on the issue, Ashoka had earlier said the opposition had cooperated in the passage of Bills and reiterated that the issue was not personal. “This concerns 1.26 crore women. After January, the February instalment must be cleared. After February, the March installment must be cleared. Without releasing the February and March installments, how can payments for April, May and subsequent months be made?” he asked.

“Has this ever happened in the history of Karnataka? Why were two months’ instalments withheld? Was it done to commit fraud? Is the treasury empty? Was it done for the party or for personal reasons? Beneficiary women have loan commitments and other obligations,” Ashoka said.