Bengaluru: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday ruled out any rollback of the Congress government’s guarantee schemes, while Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah said the welfare programmes would continue even beyond the 2028 assembly polls.The assurance came amid criticism from the BJP over the government’s ongoing verification drive to identify eligible beneficiaries.Responding to allegations that the exercise was aimed at discontinuing benefits, Shivakumar said the government’s objective was only to ensure assistance reached genuine beneficiaries.“There is no intention to stop any guarantee scheme. Whenever we try to do something good, the Opposition objects to it,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.Certain discrepancies had been detected during implementation, including cases where benefits were credited using incorrect phone numbers and beneficiary details.“We found instances where money was reaching non-beneficiaries. The exercise is aimed at ensuring that public funds reach the intended recipients,” he said.The Cabinet had approved the issuance of identity cards for beneficiaries to strengthen verification and prevent misuse, Shivakumar said. The schemes were meant for residents of Karnataka and not people from other states.“Our guarantee programmes have become a model for the country. States such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have adopted similar initiatives,” he said.Action against misuseThe government would also act against the misuse of welfare funds in fraudulent finance and ponzi-type schemes, Shivakumar said.“Some people are diverting Gruha Lakshmi funds into illegal finance activities. Following incidents such as the Belagavi case, we have directed authorities from the gram panchayat to the taluk level to crack down on such practices,” he said.Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of spreading misinformation about the future of the guarantee schemes.“Not only will these schemes continue for the next two years, they will remain in place even after the next election,” he said, expressing confidence that the Congress would return to power.The former chief minister said the government had been addressing implementation gaps from the outset and would continue to refine the programmes.Rejecting BJP claims that the schemes would strain state finances, he said Karnataka continued to perform strongly on economic indicators.“Karnataka ranks among the leading states in per capita income and is second only to Maharashtra in GST collections,” he said.Siddaramaiah said preventing ineligible beneficiaries from availing benefits was the responsibility of an elected government.“Misuse of public welfare schemes is not only a violation of law but also a betrayal of the people of the state. The Opposition should help ensure benefits reach eligible beneficiaries instead of spreading false propaganda,” he said.