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Gruha Lakshmi and Gruha Jyothi beneficiaries have to reapply, says Karnataka Chief Minister
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A file photo of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and other leaders at the launch of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme in Mysuru. In a move claimed to be aimed at plugging leakage, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has announced that beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi and the Gruha Jyothi schemes, two of the five guarantee schemes in the State, need to reapply. While Gruha Lakshmi provides ₹2,000 per month to the woman head of the family, Gruha Jyothi provides free power to residential connections up to 200 units. Mr. Shivakumar has been hinting at the need to streamline guarantee schemes for sometime now. Clarifying that the government was not stopping these schemes and had no intention of removing any beneficiaries, Mr. Shivakumar said the government had to plug leakages.“All those who provide correct documentation will continue to receive benefits,” he said. Gruha Lakshmi “It has come to our notice that benefits of over ₹100 crore had been claimed by others, in the names of those who had died under Gruha Lakshmi,” he said. The costliest of all the guarantee schemes, the government has spent ₹62,345 crore till 2025-26 and ₹28,608 crore has been earmarked for 2026-27. There are 1.24 crore women who have benefitted till now, as per the recent Budget.Gruha Jyothi “Likewise, there are multiple electricity meters in the name of one person. We need to check if that person is staying at the same address, or if someone is else residing there, and whether benefits are going to people from our State, or to outsiders. Many are also using the Gruha Jyothi scheme for commercial properties. These things need to stop,” he said. “The cost of 200 units of power is increasing. The cost of power we are purchasing is also going up,” he added.He further said all beneficiaries will be given ID cards. A total of 1.74 crore beneficiaries have benefitted under the scheme till now. The government has spent ₹28,000 crore till 2025-26 and has earmarked ₹10,578 crore for 2026-27, as per the recent Budget. Published - June 14, 2026 12:50 am IST
Minister Anoop Jacob | VIBHU The Civil Supplies department in Kerala, including its market intervention arm Supplyco, is staring at a collective liability exceeding ₹3,000 crore and may require a long-term revival plan to “undo the damage sustained over the past decade”, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Anoop Jacob has said.Addressing a Meet the Press organised by the Ernakulam Press Club in Kochi on Thursday, Mr. Jacob attributed the mounting liability to the previous LDF government’s decision not to revise the price of 13 subsidised items during its 10-year tenure beginning in 2016. This, he said, saddled Supplyco with a massive liability that the government failed to alleviate. The adverse impact of that policy began to surface in 2022–23, severely restricting Supplyco’s market intervention capacity.“A proper market strategy is essential for Supplyco’s revival. Accordingly, Supplyco has been asked to prepare a plan to broaden and ensure sustainable income through diversification and effective utilisation of its extensive network of outlets. A pilot project to develop prominent stores in every district as signature marts is being planned. Round-the-clock convenience stores catering to new-age market requirements are also on the anvil,” Mr. Jacob said.Trade fairs for OnamComprehensive trade fairs — not limited to subsidised items but also including fast-moving consumer goods — will be organised in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode during the Onam season, at least 20 days ahead of the festival. District-level and Assembly constituency-level fairs will also be held. Market intervention during the festive season is the government’s immediate priority, the Minister added.“Quarterly quality assessment reviews will be conducted to ensure the quality of materials supplied through Supplyco. A report will be compiled on political appointments in Supplyco outlets and the overall staff strength. Salaries to temporary staff have imposed a heavy financial burden on Supplyco. Excess staff from outlets with marginal sales will be redeployed,” Mr. Jacob said.He clarified that Supplyco medical stores will not be shut; instead, new ones are planned.A drive will be undertaken to provide priority ration cards to all eligible beneficiaries. Doorstep delivery of essential products, particularly for those unable to visit ration shops, is also part of the action plan. Discussions will be held with mill owners, paddy farmers, and other stakeholders to resolve issues related to paddy procurement, while prioritising farmers’ interests. Payments to farmers have been prioritised through loan enhancement by a consortium of banks to Supplyco.“Hotels will be required to display the prices of products being served. Necessary interventions, including the grading system for hotels left incomplete by the previous government, will be implemented to check fleecing of customers under the pretext of commercial gas price hikes,” Mr. Jacob said. Published - June 11, 2026 02:47 pm IST
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