Karnataka Minister K J George says guarantee scheme money not monthly salary; BJP hits back

Karnataka Energy Minister K J George's remark that funds from the guarantee schemes are "not like a monthly salary," in response to complaints about delays in payments to beneficiaries has drawn sharp criticism from opposition BJP leaders on Wednesday.

There have been complaints about non-payment of funds to beneficiaries of Anna Bhagya (which provides cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household) and Gruha Lakshmi (which offers Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of families) for the past couple of months in some cases.

Speaking to reporters in Chitradurga on Tuesday, George said, "Money is transferred every month to beneficiaries' bank accounts, but there may have been delays for some. Is there something the Minister should know about it? As soon as we are informed, steps will be taken to rectify it immediately. This is not like a monthly salary. The Chief Minister has assured that all pending payments will be cleared by May, as promised."


He added, "There may be a delay of 10 to 15 days due to various reasons."

Reacting sharply, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, questioned the Minister's attitude toward voters.

"Is this your respect for voters? They are not begging for Gruha Lakshmi and Anna Bhagya funds. People did not ask you to introduce these guarantee schemes," he said.

Criticising the government for allegedly "belittling" voters after launching the schemes for electoral gains, Ashoka added, "If you can implement the guarantee schemes as promised, do so with respect. If not, step down. People were managing their lives before these schemes and will continue to do so without them."

"Do not insult the self-respect of Kannadigas. The Congress party has already lost ground across the country. If the self-respect of Kannadigas is hurt, it is guaranteed that Congress will be wiped out in Karnataka too," he warned.

BJP leader and MLC C T Ravi accused the government of "financial mismanagement", saying the Minister had made it seem as though the word "guarantee" carried a stigma.

"A guarantee means that money should be credited to beneficiaries' accounts as surely as the sun rises every day. But after listening to the Minister, it appears that Congress's guarantee is nothing but a fraud," he claimed.