Karnataka Cabinet Approves K-Monitor to Evaluate Welfare Schemes, Including Guarantees
The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to evaluate the implementation and impact of major government schemes, including the state’s guarantee programmes, through an exercise named Project K-Monitor. The decision follows concerns over large welfare spending and whether benefits are reaching the intended beneficiaries.
The Cabinet, which met on Thursday, said the evaluation would be carried out across all Assembly constituencies in two phases over eight months. The first phase will cover one lakh beneficiaries, and the second will cover 60,000 beneficiaries, taking the total sample to 1.6 lakh.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the aim is to understand the impact of the schemes so that their implementation can be improved. Until now, the focus was mainly on implementing schemes; the government has now decided to evaluate their impact and change the method of implementation for schemes that have not produced the expected results, he added.
The Praja Seva Department will handle the initiative. It will cost ₹14 crore and is intended to create a systematic mechanism to monitor the progress of government schemes, assess whether benefits are reaching the public, evaluate departmental performance and identify gaps in implementation. The monitoring system will collect information on public service delivery, infrastructure, employment opportunities and other administrative outcomes. It will also help identify problems and enable corrective action, the Minister said.
The evaluation will cover key sectors such as water resources, agriculture, healthcare, education and urban development. The findings are expected to help departments revise the implementation of schemes that have failed to bring about a major impact.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved a grant of ₹228.95 crore for construction and infrastructure development at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Sainik School in Sangolli. The funds will be used to improve school buildings, laboratories, the library, sports facilities and other essential infrastructure. The school began operations in 2022 and currently has 540 students in classes 6 to 10.
The Cabinet also decided to set up a Karnataka Adivasi Development Board for the welfare of vulnerable tribal groups living in forests and forest-fringe areas. The board will focus on communities such as the Irula, Soliga, Jenu Kuruba, Kadu Kuruba, Kudiyas and Siddis, as well as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in these regions. With an approved allocation of ₹33.36 crore, it will provide financial assistance for entrepreneurship, skill development, market linkages, livelihood opportunities, education and basic amenities.
The Winter Session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held in Belagavi from November 30, according to the schedule finalised by the Cabinet. An earlier official communication had indicated December 7 as the start date, but the Cabinet has now opted for an earlier schedule.
