A sharp political dispute has broken out in Karnataka over the implementation of the flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme. Bharatiya Janata Party leader CT Ravi took to the social media platform X to level serious allegations against the state Congress government, claiming an irregularity involving Rs 5,000 crore under the welfare initiative. He asserted that the administration failed to deliver the promised financial support to 1.27 crore female beneficiaries across the state, describing the move as a breach of trust against women.
Contradictory Explanations in Assembly and High Court
Elaborating on the timeline, the BJP leader stated that during February and March 2025, the state administration failed to disburse Rs 5,000 crore meant for the registered women under the program. When elected representatives raised questions regarding the missing transfers on the floor of the Karnataka legislative assembly, the administration blamed server glitches and technical problems for the delay. However, when the matter reached the High Court, the government cited a severe financial crisis as the actual reason for withholding the payments.
CT Ravi criticized these differing stances, arguing that offering one justification before legislators and a completely different narrative before judges exposes administrative inconsistency. He also strongly opposed the state government's reported argument suggesting that female beneficiaries possess no right to question the non-disbursement of their pending dues. The BJP leader maintained that denying citizens the ability to demand their entitlements undermines the basic rights of women.
Questions Over DBT Diversion and Commercial Bank Deposits
Turning to the financial mechanics, CT Ravi pointed to procedural violations in how the state managed remaining welfare funds at the end of the financial year. He highlighted that on March 31, 2025, public funds amounting to Rs 2,660.26 crore were transferred out of the official treasury DBT system and placed into a commercial bank account belonging to the KSWDC Corporation to prevent the allocation from lapsing. He argued that this transaction directly flouted standard financial norms and treasury guidelines.
Demand for Immediate Release of Pending Dues
CT Ravi contended that the affidavit submitted by the administration before the High Court effectively concedes its earlier administrative failures after months of offering shifting excuses in the assembly. Demanding that the entire pending amount of Rs 5,000 crore be credited directly to the bank accounts of the women without further postponement, he declared that the BJP will not allow the ruling government to walk away from scrutiny and will continue pressing the issue until every beneficiary receives her complete financial dues.
