In 2 years, govt pumped Rs 89.4k-crore into guarantee schemes
Bengaluru: Over the past two years, the Siddaramaiah-led state govt has spent a staggering Rs 89,428 crore on its flagship guarantee schemes and other welfare initiatives, presenting this spending as an economic model aimed at providing social security to the poor and marginalised.
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Following aggressive advertising campaigns featuring QR codes to showcase individual beneficiaries, the govt recently released a detailed 124-page report highlighting the progress of these schemes. The govt calls these initiatives as a "universal basic income model", insisting that the "pancha", or five guarantees, have "redefined welfare governance by addressing systemic inequities and fostering inclusive growth".
On Tuesday, the govt unveiled its sixth guarantee scheme — 'title deeds' or Bhu guarantee, extending property ownership documentation to all residents of the state.
The govt says the schemes were designed to deliver direct financial relief and social security, which "catalysed profound socio-economic changes, while stabilising household economies amid rising inflation and unemployment".
Official data shows the Gruha Lakshmi scheme accounts for the highest expenditure — Rs 47,773 crore on 1.2 crore beneficiaries.
This is followed by Gruha Jyothi, which has cost Rs 18,900 crore, providing 1.6 crore people with free electricity up to 200 units.
The Yuva Nidhi scheme, launched six months after Cong took office, has the lowest expenditure at Rs 376 crore and benefits 3.7 lakh unemployed graduates and diploma holders with monthly allowances of Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500, respectively.
The Shakthi scheme, offering free bus travel for women within Karnataka, has recorded a staggering 458 crore cumulative trips over two years, costing the exchequer Rs 8,815 crore.
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The Anna Bhagya scheme, which supplies an additional 5kg rice to BPL cardholders, has served 4.4 crore beneficiaries at a cost of Rs 13,564 crore.
A finance department official told TOI that while the model is taxing on the exchequer, it "cannot be stopped and can only be rationalised in the next three years". "We will try to trim excess in each of these schemes and bring them down to 1 crore beneficiaries across the board," the official said.
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