Karnataka to Revisit Guarantee Schemes to Curb Leakages: CM Shivakumar
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday said the State government is reviewing its guarantee schemes to ensure that benefits reach only the deserving beneficiaries. Speaking in Gadag, he said instructions have been given to senior officers to revise the beneficiary lists under schemes such as Gruha Lakshmi and Gruha Jyoti.
"This is to ensure there are no leakages and no misuse of public funds. We want to make sure that only the deserving get the benefits," the Chief Minister said. He appealed to all eligible beneficiaries to enrol their names with proper documents. He also stressed the need to provide phone numbers linked to bank accounts, warning that funds would not be transferred if third-party numbers are provided.
On the implementation of guarantee schemes, Mr. Shivakumar said the State government would issue guidelines to form guarantee implementation committees at the gram panchayat level. "The MLAs should constitute them. If they do not do it within the scheduled time, then we will do it," he clarified. He also said that registration of Bharat Jodo Yuva Sangh units would be done online.
The Chief Minister directed government officers to reside at their headquarters and be accessible to the common people. District-level officers should stay in district headquarters, taluk-level officers in taluk headquarters, and village-level officers in villages. He said that all problems that can be resolved at a particular level should be resolved there itself.
Mr. Shivakumar announced the launch of the Praja Seva Department on September 5 to supervise public grievance redressal across the State. As per the plan, district-in-charge Ministers will hold public grievance meetings twice a month, and people should submit their grievances to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and the Tehsildar well in advance. "As far as possible, all the problems should be resolved on the spot," he said. Similar meetings must be held by MLAs four times a month. If MLAs are unable to do so, officials concerned should go to the people.
The Chief Minister also spoke about a special programme to provide housing sites to the homeless. "All those who do not have sites can apply with the appropriate documents. Those who have sites should not apply," he said.
