Day 1 of Gruha Lakshmi Yojana: Over 60,000 women sign up, but issues persist

Gruha Lakshmi Yojana, the fourth in a series of Karnataka government's guarantee schemes, has registered a blockbuster opening with over 60,000 women applying on the first day of the scheme rollout. There are two distinct application formats accepted for Gruha Lakshmi Yojana. There have been 15,276 female signups via the smartphone app, and 44,946 female signups via web applications to various government centres. On the first day of the government's Gruha Lakshmi Yojana programme, 60,222 women registered. The payments will commence on August 16. The funds will be deposited into the designated bank account.  

The yearly cost to the government is estimated at Rs 35,000 crore, making it the most expensive guarantee plan ever. In that context, the government has also made public a separate application for Gruha Lakshmi's registration. However, the government's lack of readiness to implement guarantee systems is on display in the current technological issue.

For instance, some women who have been living in Bengaluru were told to go to Shimoga to apply for the scheme. "We have been living on rations in Bengaluru for a decade. I was told to visit Shimoga between 12 and 1 pm in order to submit my application for the Gruha Lakshmi Yojana. From Bengaluru to Shimoga is a five to six-hour journey," a woman told media persons while lamenting how the government expected them to make it to Shimoga on time and apply. 
Karnataka govt scheme providing Rs 2,000 per month to women to start on Monday

About the Gruha Lakshmi scheme

Through the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, female heads of households in the state will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 2,000. This initiative is expected to bring assistance to approximately 12.8 million families. Eligibility for the scheme extends to those with Above Poverty Line (APL), Below Poverty Line (BPL), and Antyodaya cards, while income tax and GST payers are excluded from availing these benefits.

To access the scheme, women who are heads of households need to visit designated centres with their APL/BPL/Antyodaya card and their Bank-linked Aadhaar card. If the Aadhaar card is not linked to a bank account, a passbook can be presented, and the details will be recorded in the system. Upon matching the beneficiary's information with that on the ration card, the software will promptly approve the application. Additionally, beneficiaries should bring their Aadhaar-linked mobile phones to the centers to facilitate the process.