The Congress party in Karnataka has promised to give Rs 2,000 a month to every woman who is the head of a household if voted to power. This will be a part of the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme and is expected to benefit 1.5 crore women in the state, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said in a statement. The announcement was made during the ‘Naa Nayaki’ event in Bengaluru’s Palace Grounds on Monday, January 16, in the presence of party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The amount will be directly transferred to the women’s bank account, and aims to help ease the burden of LPG prices and other expenses that women must bear, the KPCC said. It added, “INC wants every woman of the state to be empowered, capable of standing on her own feet and capable of taking care of her children. INC wants to provide financial independence to each woman of Karnataka.”
The KPCC also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, alleging that crimes against women and the prices of essential commodities have increased under their rule. “This economic crisis which has most severely affected the women of the country and the state is unprecedented, and while the current governments do not even care to acknowledge it, INC is aware of the challenges faced by the people of our country and will always take the necessary steps to help them emerge better and stronger,” the party stated.
The announcement comes within days of the party promising to provide 200 units of free electricity every month to all households in the state, if it comes to power. The Assembly elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in May this year.