Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru 

Bengaluru, Nov 6: The Karnataka state government has announced a major update for beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, stating that the 34th, 35th and 36th instalments will be released together. 

A total of Rs 7,405.86 crore will be released in a single tranche by chief minister D K Shivakumar, according to Dinesh Gooligowda, vice-chairman of the State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority.

Earlier, the state government had informed the Karnataka high court that approximately Rs 4,000 crore in payments under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme for February and March 2025 remained pending due to severe financial constraints. 

In its submission, the government stated that the financial assistance under the scheme is subject to budget availability and cannot be claimed as a legal entitlement. It also acknowledged that Rs 115 crore had been credited to 1.08 lac beneficiaries who had died. Of this amount, Rs 15.24 crore has already been recovered, the government informed the court. 

The government submitted its objections before the court in response to a writ petition seeking the release of pending Gruha Lakshmi payments, explaining the actual status of the scheme's implementation. 

It clarified that a proposal had been submitted to the Finance Department seeking funds for the two pending months, but the amount could not be released due to a shortage of budgetary allocation.