Mysuru, August 30,2023: In a bid to extend financial support to women across India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has announced the replication of Karnataka’s successful Gruha Lakshmi scheme on a national scale. This announcement came during the launch of the scheme by the Karnataka government in Mysuru.
The Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which allocates Rs 2,000 per month to women who are heads of households, is set to serve as a robust safety net for women across the country. Rahul Gandhi highlighted the innovative governance model being employed in Karnataka, emphasizing the importance of governmental efforts in aiding marginalized sections of society without any discrimination based on factors such as religion, caste, or language.
Gandhi praised the scheme’s significance, terming it as the world’s most substantial cash transfer initiative targeting women. He noted that such extensive support for women is unparalleled globally.
Highlighting the scheme’s remarkable success, Rahul Gandhi recounted how the Union government initially expressed doubts about its feasibility. Nevertheless, he pointed out that the distribution of funds to over a crore women and the provision of free bus travel and rice to families demonstrated its effectiveness.
The Gruha Lakshmi scheme is part of a comprehensive set of guarantees provided by the Congress, with other initiatives such as free bus travel for women (Shakti), free monthly rice for individuals in below poverty line (BPL) families (Anna Bhagya), and free electricity for households (Gruha Jyothi) already in operation. A fifth guarantee, the Yuva Nidhi scheme, aimed at offering unemployment allowances to the youth, is anticipated to be launched in the near future.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge lauded the guarantees provided by the Congress-led government in Karnataka, which have garnered attention from leaders of other states who express interest in adopting similar measures.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recounted how opposition parties initially dismissed the feasibility of these guarantees before the Assembly polls. Despite these doubts, the government successfully implemented four of the promised guarantees, without compromising on regular schemes or financial stability. The impending launch of Yuva Nidhi is anticipated to further solidify the government’s commitment to social welfare and economic empowerment.
As Karnataka paves the way with its progressive initiatives, Rahul Gandhi’s announcement of scaling up the Gruha Lakshmi scheme is poised to usher in a new era of financial assistance and empowerment for women across India.
