Minister KJ George says guarantee scheme money not monthly salary; BJP hits back
Bengaluru, Feb 19 (PTI): Karnataka Energy Minister K J George’s remark that funds from the guarantee schemes are "not like a monthly salary," in response to complaints about delays in payments to beneficiaries has drawn sharp criticism from opposition BJP leaders on Wednesday.
There have been complaints about non-payment of funds to beneficiaries of Anna Bhagya (which provides cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household) and Gruha Lakshmi (which offers Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of families) for the past couple of months in some cases.
Speaking to reporters in Chitradurga on Tuesday, George said, "Money is transferred every month to beneficiaries' bank accounts, but there may have been delays for some. Is there something the Minister should know about it? As soon as we are informed, steps will be taken to rectify it immediately. This is not like a monthly salary. The Chief Minister has assured that all pending payments will be cleared by May, as promised."
He added, "There may be a delay of 10 to 15 days due to various reasons."
Reacting sharply, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, questioned the Minister’s attitude toward voters.
"Is this your respect for voters? They are not begging for Gruha Lakshmi and Anna Bhagya funds. People did not ask you to introduce these guarantee schemes," he said.
Criticising the government for allegedly "belittling" voters after launching the schemes for electoral gains, Ashoka added, "If you can implement the guarantee schemes as promised, do so with respect. If not, step down. People were managing their lives before these schemes and will continue to do so without them."
"Do not insult the self-respect of Kannadigas. The Congress party has already lost ground across the country. If the self-respect of Kannadigas is hurt, it is guaranteed that Congress will be wiped out in Karnataka too," he warned.
BJP leader and MLC C T Ravi accused the government of "financial mismanagement", saying the Minister had made it seem as though the word "guarantee" carried a stigma.
"A guarantee means that money should be credited to beneficiaries' accounts as surely as the sun rises every day. But after listening to the Minister, it appears that Congress's guarantee is nothing but a fraud," he claimed.
ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಸಚಿವ @thekjgeorge ಅವರೇ,
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) February 19, 2025
ಗೃಹಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ, ಅನ್ನಭಾಗ್ಯ ಹಣ ತಿಂಗಳ ಸಂಬಳ ಅಲ್ವಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೀರಲ್ಲಾ, ಇದೇನಾ ಮತದಾರರಿಗೆ ನೀವು ಕೊಡುವ ಗೌರವ?
ಗೃಹಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಹಣ ಕೊಡಿ, ಅನ್ನಭಾಗ್ಯದ ಹಣ ಕೊಡಿ ಅಂತ ಮಾತಾದರರೇನು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಬಳಿ ಭಿಕ್ಷೆ ಬೇಡುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಗ್ಯಾರೆಂಟಿ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿ ಅಂತ ಜನತೆ ಕೇಳಿಯೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ.
ನಿಮ್ಮ… pic.twitter.com/GLuxxEmUZS
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
