Karnataka Gruha Lakshmi Scheme Delay: Minister Apologises for February-March Payment Lapse

Karnataka Gruha Lakshmi scheme payments for February and March delayed due to departmental coordination issues. Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar apologises as lakhs of women await pending funds under the state’s flagship welfare scheme.

The non-payment of funds for February and March under the state government’s flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme has sparked a political controversy, placing the Women and Child Development Department under scrutiny. Following mounting pressure from the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar formally apologised for the department’s lapse, acknowledging the inconvenience caused to lakhs of women beneficiaries across the state.

Conflict Between Two Departments

The delay in Gruha Lakshmi payments primarily arose due to a lack of coordination between the Women and Child Development Department and the Finance Department. Since August 2023, the Women’s Department had been directly disbursing payments to beneficiaries. However, from February 2025, the Finance Department introduced a new protocol requiring payments to be routed through Taluk Panchayats, which led to technical confusion and delays in fund disbursal.

Technical Glitches Behind the Delay

Failure to Submit Proposals: Many Taluk Panchayats did not submit grant proposals within the stipulated timeline, slowing down fund processing.

End of the Financial Year: The closure of the financial year on 31 March further complicated matters. The Finance Department cited technical reasons and refused to release arrears for the previous months.

Officials Unresponsive to Minister’s Requests: Despite repeated interventions by Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar urging the Finance Department to release the pending payments, no positive response was received. As the Finance Department operates under the Chief Minister’s office, its inaction caused political embarrassment for the Minister in the assembly.

Scheme Statistics at a Glance

• Scheme Launch: 6 June 2023
• Monthly Amount: Rs. 2,000 per beneficiary
• Total Beneficiaries: 1.26 crore women
• Total Expenditure: Rs. 54,000 crore to date
• Amount Paid So Far: Approximately Rs. 46,000 per beneficiary

Current Situation

Lakhs of women remain distressed due to missed payments for February and March. While the government has authorised payments from April onwards, it remains unclear whether arrears for the two previous months will be released. The delay has reignited debates on bureaucratic coordination and efficiency in implementing welfare schemes across Karnataka.