Karnataka’s Freebie Crisis? Gruha Lakshmi & Anna Bhagya Under Fund Crunch!

Are Karnataka’s flagship guarantee schemes running out of funds? The BJP claims that the Siddaramaiah government has not released payments for the Gruha Lakshmi and Anna Bhagya schemes in the last three months - schemes that provide financial aid to women and free rice to poor households. While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denies any pending payments, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar insists there is no fund crunch. However, recent hikes in bus fares, fuel prices, and milk rates have raised concerns that the state government is increasing prices to sustain its expensive welfare programs. With opposition leaders and experts questioning the long-term viability of these guarantees, the big debate continues—can states afford large-scale welfare schemes without impacting development?