Bengaluru: The ruling Congress party which has rolled out four of its guarantees after coming to power in Karnataka reaching about 4.30 crore beneficiaries and now the stage is set for registration of its fifth guarantee “Yuva Nidhi” to provide monthly honorarium to graduates and diploma holders which will begin at the end of December, said Randeep Singh Surjewala, general secretary of All India Congress Committee and Karnataka Congress in-charge.
The 5-guarantees of the Congress party made to the voters prior to coming to power in Karnataka were free travel for women in State run buses, free power supply to a family upto 200 units a month, 10-kg rice to BPL/Antyodaya card holders, Rs 2,000 cash benefit scheme for a female head of a family every month and to provide monthly honorarium to graduates and diploma holders.
Giving out details on the status of the 4-guarantees rolled out in Karnataka, Surjewala said since the free travel for women was flagged off in June, about 114.54 crore journeys completed and about 60-62 lakh women have availed the opportunity to travel for free. The free travel has cost the State Government about Rs 2,700 crore since its inception.
On providing free power, he said, the State Government has spent about Rs 800 crore a month and about 1.6 crore families have benefitted and the State Government has so far deposited Rs 2,300 crore for women registered under ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme to get Rs 2,000 cash benefit through Direct Bank Transfer. Under the scheme, he said, 1.16 crore women have registered.
Under ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme, about 3.97 crore BPL/Antyodaya card holders are getting Rs 170 a month in lieu of rice a month and so far under the scheme, the State Government has spent Rs 656 crore, said Surjewala.
