Deputy CM D K Shivakumar reiterates guarantees are a burden, but will continue

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Feb 27, 2026: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday reiterated that the state’s five guarantee schemes are a “burden” on the exchequer, but made it clear that there is no question of discontinuing them.

The debate over the financial sustainability of the Congress government’s flagship guarantees has intensified, with senior leaders offering differing views on their long-term viability.

Shivakumar said that while the schemes put pressure on state finances, the government remains committed to continuing them to empower people economically and make them “mentally strong.”

“There is no question of stopping the guarantee schemes. Our government is financially sound. Some well-off women have voluntarily given up the benefits. There have also been instances where instalments were paid to deceased beneficiaries. We will only weed out such cases,” he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought to downplay his deputy’s remarks, clarifying that the reference to “burden” likely pertained to the annual outlay of around Rs 52,000 crore. “We have already spent about Rs 1.2 lakh crore on the schemes,” he noted.

Home Minister G Parameshwara, who chaired the 2023 Assembly manifesto committee, defended the guarantees, describing them as a collective decision of the party leadership. Referring to recent comments about financial strain by the KPCC president, he said the matter would be discussed internally.

Industries Minister M B Patil rejected claims that the guarantees have hampered development, calling them a key component of the government’s development agenda. “These were promises made to the poor before the elections and are being implemented accordingly,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy alleged that the ‘Karnataka model’ of welfare is under financial stress. He claimed that pending payments — including nearly Rs 5,000 crore under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme — point to strain. “If not for the BJP raising the issue, the government would have discontinued the guarantees. Now instalments are being skipped,” he said.

Limit benefits to poor: Hariprasad

Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad suggested that affluent beneficiaries should be removed from the list of those receiving benefits under the five guarantee schemes.

“I have been advising the government not to extend guarantee benefits to income tax payers. These schemes should focus solely on the poor,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Drawing a parallel, he noted that the Union government had withdrawn LPG subsidies for taxpayers. “Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the rich to give up gas subsidies. There is nothing wrong in excluding the affluent. The objective of the guarantee schemes is to uplift the poor and strengthen them economically,” he said.