Bengaluru, Aug 5 (IANS) The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Wednesday alleged that the Karnataka government’s flagship guarantee schemes and social security pension programmes have become inaccessible to beneficiaries due to excessive documentation requirements and unrealistic income criteria.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, SDPI Karnataka President Abdul Majeed said schemes that were intended to reach people easily and with dignity have instead become burdened with unnecessary paperwork and restrictive conditions.
“Guarantee schemes have turned into schemes without any guarantee. The government is indirectly excluding the poor, senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable sections from welfare programmes through unnecessary documentation and unscientific income limits,” he alleged.
Majeed said the Congress government’s guarantee schemes had initially generated hope among the public, but administrative failures and additional restrictions in their implementation were now causing hardship to beneficiaries.
Criticising the Gruha Jyothi scheme, he added that directing existing beneficiaries to submit fresh applications and documents amounted to unnecessary harassment.
“Beneficiaries who have already been identified as eligible in government records are once again being forced to submit documents. This ‘anti-people’ move raises doubts that the government’s hidden intention is to reduce the number of beneficiaries,” he alleged.
He also claimed that women covered under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme were not receiving the monthly financial assistance regularly.
“Instead of crediting the amount every month, the government is releasing arrears in bulk after several months, creating confusion among beneficiaries about when and for which month the payment is being made. This reflects administrative failure,” he said.
Referring to the Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel for women, Majeed alleged that the state government had failed to increase the number of buses in proportion to the growing demand.
“While the government continues to publicise free travel for women, it has not increased the bus fleet. As a result, women are forced to travel in overcrowded buses every day, compromising their safety and convenience,” he said.
The SDPI leader also criticised the state government’s decision to seek fresh documents from beneficiaries of social security pension schemes, saying it had created anxiety among thousands of poor families.
He termed the annual family income ceiling of Rs 32,000 for eligibility under social security pension schemes as “unscientific, inhuman and irrational” in the present economic conditions.
“On one hand, the state government is considering increasing the annual income limit for Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards to Rs 3 lakh. On the other hand, it continues to retain the Rs 32,000 annual income limit for pensions meant for senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and destitute people. Where is the justice in this?” he asked.
Majeed pointed out that Kerala allows an annual family income of up to Rs 1 lakh for social security pensions, while Telangana follows income limits of Rs 2 lakh for rural areas and Rs 3 lakh for urban areas.
“Many states rely on BPL cards or broader economic criteria instead of imposing such an outdated income ceiling. Karnataka, however, continues with the obsolete Rs 32,000 limit, depriving thousands of eligible beneficiaries of welfare schemes,” he alleged.
The SDPI demanded that the Karnataka government immediately abolish the Rs 32,000 annual income limit for social security pensions and revise the eligibility criteria in line with the present cost of living and the standards followed by other states.
The SDPI also urged the state government to continue pension and welfare benefits for eligible BPL card holders without insisting on unnecessary documentation, withdraw the re-registration process under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, ensure timely monthly disbursal of Gruha Lakshmi benefits, deploy additional buses to strengthen the Shakti scheme, and guarantee uninterrupted distribution of social security pensions to senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable sections.
“The government should not merely claim to be pro-poor in its speeches. Welfare schemes must be implemented in a simple, transparent and people-friendly manner. SDPI will strongly oppose any attempt to deprive poor people of their rightful benefits by forcing them to run from one government office to another in the name of documentation,” Majeed warned.
SDPI State General Secretary Afsar Kodlipete, State Secretary Riyaz Kadambu, Bengaluru North District President Javed Azam and Bengaluru South District President Saleem Ahmed were also present at the press conference.
–IANS
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