Around 52,000 women denied Gruha Lakshmi benefits in Karnataka due to tax records; issue being addressed, says Minister

Around 52,000 women in Karnataka were denied Gruha Lakshmi benefits due to tax records, with efforts underway to resolve issues.

Around 52,000 women in Karnataka have not received benefits under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme as they are reflected as GST or income tax payers in official records, Minister for Women and Child Development Laxmi Hebbalkar informed the Legislative Council on February 2.

Replying to concerns regarding non-payment of Gruha Lakshmi benefits to many beneficiaries raised by BJP member P.H. Pujar, the Minister said that the issue had arisen because beneficiary details matched records of the GST and Income Tax Departments, leading to withholding of payments under the scheme.

Of the affected beneficiaries, issues faced by about 20,000 women have been resolved while efforts are under way to address the remaining cases, she said.

Ms. Hebbalkar clarified that the government of Karnataka and the Women and Child Development Department were not at fault. “The same information is reflected in the GST and income tax databases. We are working to resolve the problem based on those records,” she said.

Pointing out that the Gruha Lakshmi scheme currently covers around 1.26 crore beneficiaries across Karnataka, the Minister explained that some women were engaged in small-scale business or financial transactions, which had resulted in their names appearing under GST or income tax categories, even if their incomes were modest. Tax-payees are not eligible for the benefit as per the terms of the scheme.

The Gruha Lakshmi scheme operates through a dedicated software platform. If a beneficiary is flagged as a GST or income tax payer in the system, carrying out corrections manually immediately is not possible, she said.