Congress Clarifies: Guarantee Schemes Will Continuous with Only Eligibility Revisions Underway

By Editor

Posted on June 16, 2026

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Congress Clarifies: Guarantee Schemes Will Continuous with Only Eligibility Revisions Underway

Mangaluru : The Dakshina Kannada District Congress President, K. Harish Kumar, strongly refuted allegations by BJP leaders and viral social media claims regarding the stoppage of the state government’s five guarantee schemes. Terming the rumors as malicious propaganda and completely baseless, he emphasized that the state government remains fully committed to continuing these welfare programs.

Speaking at a press conference held at the District Congress Office, Harish Kumar highlighted that the Congress government has successfully implemented all five guarantee schemes since assuming power, ensuring the benefits reach almost every household across the state. He subtly mocked the opposition, pointing out that the BJP, which initially claimed these schemes would bankrupt the state’s economy, has ironically went on to emulate similar welfare models in several BJP-ruled states.

Addressing the ongoing rumors, the Congress leader blamed the BJP for intentionally misleading the public. He reiterated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other senior cabinet ministers have already given categorical assurances that none of the flagship welfare programs will be discontinued or shelved.

Explaining the current administrative actions, Harish Kumar clarified that the government is merely conducting a routine revision and verification process. The ongoing exercise aims to filter out ineligible beneficiaries from the system. He revealed that instances were found where financial benefits under schemes like ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ were being credited to accounts of deceased individuals or individuals who are active income tax payees. Consequently, only such fraudulent or ineligible accounts are being suspended.

He reassured the public that this streamlining process will not impact eligible beneficiaries, and major initiatives including ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ and ‘Gruha Jyothi’ will function without any hindrance or cancellation.

Reacting to recent comments made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Harish Kumar clarified that the Karnataka government has never approached the central government seeking financial assistance specifically to fund its guarantee schemes. Instead, the state is only demanding its rightful constitutional share, which includes the pending GST devolution, central tax shares, and the previously promised central funds for the Bhadra Upper Canal Project.

Dismissing the opposition’s narrative that Karnataka is facing a financial crisis, he noted that the state holds the second position in the entire country for GST collections, trailing only behind Maharashtra. Backed by such robust revenue generation, the state’s financial condition remains highly stable, ensuring that there are absolutely no monetary constraints in sustaining the welfare guarantees, he concluded.

Prominent Congress leaders, including Padmaraj R. Poojary, Shashidhar Hegde, Shubhodaya Alva, Appi, Shahul Hameed, and Prakash Salian, were present during the press briefing.