PM Modi must take cue, adopt welfare measures: Congress leader Surjewala

The Congress on Wednesday said that the Karnataka government’s ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme is an “antidote” to the “BJP-created inflation” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a cue and adopt welfare schemes for people.

While addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, party general secretary Randeep Surjewala said that the Congress government in Karnataka is launching the “world’s largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme Griha Lakshmi”.

The AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka said that this scheme was the “biggest attack” by the Congress on “BJP-created inflation”.

Surjewala further said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivkumar had promised this scheme during the party’s election campaign.

There is still time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a cue and adopt the path shown by the Congress government in Karnataka of adopting welfare schemes

for the people, Surjewala said, adding that instead, the Prime Minister had described the welfare schemes as ‘rewadis, thus insulting the beneficiaries.

Asserting that the welfare schemes are the constitutional duty and responsibility of every government, Surjewala said that the registration will begin Wednesday and the money will be transferred between August 15 and 20.

Initially, the registration will be done for the first month for all the beneficiaries, he said, adding that the registration will be a continuous process.

Citing ration card details, Surjewala said that there are 1.28 crore women heads of family in

Karnataka and every household, except for those that pay income tax, will get Rs 2,000 every month irrespective of caste, creed or religion.

“In the first year, 1.11 crore beneficiaries will get benefits, receiving a total of Rs 18,000 crore.

In the next year, once the registration is complete, the number of beneficiaries will be 1.35 crore, who will receive Rs 30,000 crore,” he said.

He also called on the Modi government to take a cue and reduce the prices of gas cylinders and essential commodities to provide relief to the people.

Explaining about the scheme, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the Gruha Lakshmi scheme by the party-led government in Karnataka will ensure a direct transfer of Rs 2,000 every month to every woman head of the family.

“The annual expenditure will be approximately Rs 30,000 crore and it will benefit around 1.26 crore women and their families in the state.

This is the largest financial security scheme.