Karnataka govt to launch women financial aid scheme 'Gruha Lakshmi' today

Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka is all set to launch 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme, offering monthly aid of Rs 2,000 each to about 1.1 crore women heads of family, at a function in Mysuru on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar offered prayers on Tuesday at the famous Chamundeshwari temple in the district headquarters town of Mysuru, where the scheme would be launched by AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge at the function that would also be attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"As many as 1.1 crore women heads of households will be given Rs 2,000 every month," Siddararamaiah told reporters in Mysuru, his home district on Tuesday.

The government has earmarked Rs 17,500 crore for 'Gruha Lakshmi' programme in the current financial year.

'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme is one of the five pre-poll 'guarantees' of the Congress, which ousted the BJP from power in the Assembly elections held in May.

Around one lakh people are expected to gather at the public function to mark the launch of the flagship scheme.

The CM had stressed that it would be a government function in which Kharge and Gandhi would take part in their capacity as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and as Lok Sabha member, respectively.

The state government has already implemented three of the five 'guarantees' (pre-poll promises) -- 'Shakti', 'Gruha Jyothi' and 'Anna Bhagya' -- and 'Gruha Lakshmi' is the fourth one.

The fifth one is the 'Yuva Nidhi' scheme that promises to provide unemployment allowance to the state's youth.