₹2,488 crore distributed under guarantee schemes to people of Dakshina Kannada, says MLC Ivan D’Souza

State government distributes ₹2,488 crore through guarantee schemes in Dakshina Kannada, benefiting thousands, despite funding challenges.

The State government has distributed ₹2,488 crore to the people of Dakshina Kannada through its five guarantee schemes so far, said Ivan D’Souza, MLC, here on Monday.

Talking to the media, Mr. D’Souza said ₹1,233 crore was given to 3.77 lakh beneficiaries under the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme, which ensured ₹2,000 a month to the woman heads of the families. As many as 8.37 crore women travelled for free, and the government reimbursed the KSRTC a sum of ₹275 crore under the ‘Shakthi’ scheme, he said.

The ‘Gruha Jyothi’ scheme, which ensured up to 200 units of free power, had 5.61 lakh beneficiaries. The government paid Mescom ₹698 crore under this scheme.

Under the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme of providing 10 kg rice free of cost, there were 11.71 lakh beneficiaries, and the government had spent ₹273 crore on it. There were 5,840 beneficiaries of the ‘Yuva Nidhi’ programme of giving unemployment allowance to students who have passed degree and diploma courses, and the government spent ₹6 crore so far on this, he said.

He said the government has set up guarantee implementation committees at the State, district, and taluk levels to ensure the effective implementation of the schemes.

Regarding the problems faced by those living in rented accommodations in getting the benefits of the ‘Gruha Jyothi’ scheme, Mr. D’Souza said the Dakshina Kannada district Guarantee Implementation Committee has helped 300 such persons.

Regarding the low number of KSRTC bus services in Dakshina Kannada, Mr. D’Souza said the State government has sanctioned 100 new electric buses each to KSRTC Mangaluru and Puttur divisions, respectively. The buses are likely to be operational in a month, and then the number of Shakthi scheme beneficiaries will increase further.