Bengaluru: Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar clarified at a press meet at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday that the list of beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme will not be revised.

When asked if there was a technical glitch in crediting the money to the beneficiaries’ accounts, she denied any such problem. The minister said that, while the government had credited the money for April, only the payment for May was pending, adding that the Finance Department was yet to release the funds meant for the scheme.

Hebbalkar explained that the Department had handed over the responsibility of crediting the money to the beneficiaries’ accounts to the respective zilla and taluk panchayats, as directed by the Central government. The rule set by the Centre, however, has caused delay in crediting the money to the beneficiaries’ accounts, she added.

There is a monthly increase of 10,000 to 15,000 in the number of beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme. The registered beneficiaries are all being credited the promised sum every month as the government is facing no problem in managing the guarantee scheme, Hebbalkar added.

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Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.

In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”

He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.

Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.

While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.

In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.

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