State spends Rs 1.85 lakh crore on guarantee schemes: H.M. Revanna - The HinduPublished - November 11, 2026 09:34 pm IST - MYSURUH.M. Revanna, chairman, Karnataka State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority on Wednesday said the State government has spent ₹1.85 lakh crore on the five guarantee schemes, accounting for 12% of the State budget.Speaking after a meeting on the formation of guarantee committees at the gram panchayats and ward levels at the Zilla Panchayat office, Mr. Revanna said the benefits of the guarantee schemes reached beneficiaries directly without the involvement of middlemen or payment of bribes.The schemes benefited eligible beneficiaries irrespective of caste. Each family received benefits worth around ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 under the guarantee schemes. Despite criticism in the initial days, the five guarantee schemes had continued to reach beneficiaries, he said.Referring to the views of several economists on the schemes, Mr. Revanna said Karnataka ranked top among the States with the highest per capita income. The Gruha Lakshmi scheme had empowered women economically, he added.He directed the taluk-level chairpersons of the guarantee scheme committees to take an active role in constituting village- and ward-level guarantee implementation committees, each comprising six members, including two women.Authority vice-chairperson Pushpa Amarnath said that the lists of members for the gram panchayat- and ward-level guarantee committees would be prepared in two days and submitted to the State office.District Committee president Arun Kumar said that 15,724 beneficiaries registered under the five guarantee schemes had died. Of these, 7,778 families of beneficiaries had applied for a change of beneficiary, nominating the woman head of the family, and were found eligible, he said.Following the death of a beneficiary, eligible family members can continue to avail the benefits under the five guarantee schemes by nominating the eldest woman in the family as the beneficiary, he added.Shivkumar, vice-president of the District Guarantee Scheme Implementation Committee said the Food and Civil Supplies Department should take the initiative to issue BPL cards on priority to people suffering from serious health conditions.Beneficiaries facing technical difficulties while withdrawing money from banks were brought to the notice of the district committee president during the meeting. It was suggested to direct bank managers to address their grievances.Published - November 11, 2026 09:34 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }