Mangaluru: Gayathri, a beneficiary of 'Gruhalakshmi', stated that she saved the money received in ten installments of the scheme to pay the school fee of her son. Guarantee schemes had helped single parents like her to educate their children, she said while urging the government to continue the program. She was in conversation with Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee state vice-president Dr Pushpa Amaranath, along with other beneficiaries, at DK Zilla Panchayat's Nethravati Auditorium in Mangalore on Wednesday.
Ashwini, another beneficiary from Shanthigiri near Moodbidre, said that she used to get only 50 rupees from her husband when she needed a hundred to shop for basic needs of her house. "As we get 2000 rupees directly in our hands now, we need not ask anybody for minor expenses. We use 'Gruhalakshmi' money if we need to get the children something or to buy other items like soaps and toothpaste", she added.
"My family of five has availed the benefit of all Guarantee schemes except 'Yuvanidhi'. Our money reaches the coffers of the state again as tax when we buy anything from the outside with this amount. The four guarantees provide our family 4300 rupees in a month which amounts to 51000 rupees annually. Hats off to Siddaramaiah for such a scheme. The real lazy are those who call the guarantee schemes as 'bitti bhagya' and claim that it makes people lazy. Only those who have seen hunger and poverty in their lives will know the value of these schemes", Bharathi Bolar, a beneficiary from Mangaluru, stated.
Athika from Harekala explained how Anna Bhagya, Gruha Jyothi and Gruha Lakshmi had helped her family of ten which included her three children and grandchildren. As she was a widower, this had helped her to take care of her family in the absence of her husband, she said. "We can never forget this help of Siddaramaiah. He must become the Prime Minister", she added.
Lalitha, another beneficiary from Moodbidre, said that she was a daily wager and had to take loans to get one of her daughters married. "My son is physically challenged. Another daughter has only been employed recently. Son's medicines cost 2000 rupees per month. I am using Gruhalakshmi money for that now", she stated.
Explaining how Anna Bhagya and Gruhalakshmi benefited her, Laveena of Ullal said that she got daily wages as a manual labourer. "There is no work in the rainy season. It was difficult for us to even pay the electricity bill then. But now free electricity and other benefits are available", she added.
An unmarried woman named Leela from Muliki said that she stayed with her brothers. She was using the Gruhalakshmi amount for medicines, she said. "Now I don't have to seek anybody's help. These schemes must continue to benefit poor like us", she stated.
Responding to the rumors about the termination of the schemes, Dr Pushpa Amaranath said that this was the work of people who were jealous of the good work. She said that CM Siddaramaiah had assured that the schemes, which were a ray of hope for many, wouldn't be stopped. “This program has been popular in the country as '5-I program'. Others are also copying this and even the name of the scheme was stolen. Those who opposed the schemes earlier are implementing it now", she added.
District nodal officer for the implementation of the guarantee schemes and Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr Anand and District Implementation Committee President Bharat Mundodi were present.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a bus helper and recovered USD 1,600 that was allegedly stolen from the purse of an Iranian woman who had forgotten it on a private bus at ISBT Kashmere Gate, an official said on Sunday.
The incident came to light on December 15, when a complaint was lodged at the ISBT Kashmere Gate police post by Dr Ali Akbar Shah, a professor at Delhi University and a resident of Mukherjee Nagar, the police said.
He informed police that his guest, Fareshteh Sayanjali, an Iranian national, had arrived in India on December 13 and was staying at his residence, they said.
The woman had travelled to Uttarakhand's Rishikesh and was returning to Delhi on December 15 in a bus. While de-boarding at ISBT Kashmere Gate around 1.45 pm, she inadvertently left her purse on the bus seat, the police officer said.
After some time, she received a phone call from the bus operator informing her that the purse had been found in the vehicle. However, when the purse was handed back to her, she discovered that USD 1,600 in cash kept inside was missing," the officer added.
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Based on Dr Shah's statement, an FIR was registered at Kashmere Gate police station on December 16, and an investigation was taken up, police said.
During the investigation, the team questioned the driver and conductor of the bus in which the woman had travelled, police said.
During questioning, the conductor told police that Monish, the bus helper, found the purse lying abandoned on a seat and handed it over to him, police said.
Monish initially attempted to mislead the investigators, but later confessed to stealing the US dollars from the purse, police said
Following his disclosure, Monish was arrested on December 17 and recovered the entire stolen amount, police said.
The accused, Monish, 26, is a resident of Jahangirpuri in north Delhi.
He has studied up to Class 10 and has been working as a helper with the private bus service for the past year, they said.
