Karnataka Gruha Lakshmi Beneficiaries Say Funds Helped Boost Family Incomes

Women beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme told State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Vice-Chairperson R. Mehroz Khan that the money they received had helped them start or expand small businesses and increase their family income.

Khan interacted with beneficiaries during a visit to Shivamogga on October 27. Their accounts included income-generating activities such as selling clothes, running a chicken stall, dairy production and operating a provisions store.

Beneficiaries invest in small businesses

Kalavathi of Ripponpet in Hosanagara taluk said she had earlier earned a living by ironing clothes. She used the Gruha Lakshmi money to buy clothes and saris and began selling them. She said the business had raised her family’s income.

Savitha of Umblebailu in Shivamogga taluk said she had worked as a daily-wage labourer. With the money received under the scheme, she opened a chicken stall in the village, which has benefited her family.

Neelamma of Bhadrapura in Bhadravati taluk used the money to buy a cow. She grows fodder and sells milk, adding to her income.

Savitha of Anandapura in Sagar taluk said she had earlier worked in a quarry, where the work was uncertain. She saved the Gruha Lakshmi money and opened a provisions store in the village.

The examples shared during the interaction showed beneficiaries using the scheme’s support for different forms of self-employment and household income generation.

Review of guarantee schemes

Khan chaired a review meeting on the guarantee schemes at the zilla panchayat auditorium. He said the schemes were being implemented successfully in the district and that lakhs of people were benefiting. He also praised officials from various departments for their role in implementing the schemes.

Under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, ₹584.23 crore was disbursed in 2023-24, ₹768.31 crore in 2024-25 and ₹841.14 crore in 2025-26. Officials reported that ₹73.76 lakh was due to the government of Karnataka from deceased beneficiaries. Khan directed that a meeting be held with banks and that the amount be recovered from accounts that still hold the funds.

He said beneficiaries had already been told to have their own SIM cards. He also made it clear that the scheme would not be stopped for any eligible beneficiary.

Shakti records 8.69 crore trips

Khan said the free bus travel scheme for women, Shakti, had proved a boon and was being widely used for pilgrimages, employment and education. Women in the district have made 8.69 crore trips under the scheme so far.

Between June 2023 and September 2026, the government of Karnataka paid ₹336.19 crore to the KSRTC under Shakti.

Reviewing the Anna Bhagya scheme, Khan instructed officials to ensure that fair price shops opened at 7 a.m. for people’s convenience. He also directed them to put up boards showing the availability of ration.

Electricity and student support

The Gruha Jyothi scheme has reached 4,73,682 families in the district that use less than 200 units of electricity. The government of Karnataka has spent a total of ₹823.69 crore on the scheme.

A house-to-house verification exercise is under way, with 15,262 houses remaining. The exercise will be completed by the end of October, according to the source. Officials said steps were being taken to address smart meter and technical problems.

Khan asked officials to collect details of degree and diploma colleges. He also asked them to give more attention to training courses for students under the scheme and to implement ‘Yuva Nidhi Plus’ effectively.

Officials said the district has 1,31,395 DBT accounts and that ₹39.09 crore had been spent so far on the allowance. Authority district president C.S. Chandrabhupal, Zilla Panchayat CEO Rishi Anand, office-bearers and members of the district and taluk guarantee authorities, and district-level officials were present.

Source: The Hindu