"Govt should work for poor, weak": Rahul Gandhi takes dig at Centre

MYSURU: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government, saying that the government should work for the "poor and the weak". Speaking at the launch event of the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme in Mysuru, Rahul Gandhi said, "There is a fashion in the country. The government in Delhi (at the Centre) works for billionaires...We think that the government should work for the poor and the weak."

The former Congress president said that he had met thousands of women during his Bharat Jodi Yata earlier this year. "In Karnataka, we walked for around 600 kilometres. I talked to you and I understood one thing clearly. You said that inflation is affecting you...It is the women who suffer its blow. Thousands of women told me that they couldn't bear the inflation. I understood that the women of Karnataka are the foundation of this state..." he said.

Congress-ruled Karnataka government on Wednesday rolled out the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme one among five poll promises made by the Congress during its election campaign. Under the scheme, the state government will provide Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of BPL families. The scheme was launched in the presence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi.

According to KC Venugopal, Congress General Secretary, it will be the "world's largest-ever welfare scheme for women". 1.28 crore female family heads in Karnataka are expected to receive this financial aid deposited directly into their bank accounts from today. Earlier Congress during its poll campaign in Karnataka this year had announced the five main guarantees to the people of Karnataka.

The five 'main' guarantees are 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti); Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi); 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya); Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (Yuva Nidhi) and free travel for women in public transport buses (Uchita Prayana).