No benefit from Gruha Lakshmi yet, Mythri pension also not regular, say transwomen in Karnataka

The government had mandated the possession of transgender (TG) card for transwomen to apply for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme

In July, the Karnataka government announced that the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, under which ₹2,000 is being given to the female head of houses, will be extended to transgender women too. Many transwomen applied on the portal. But this month, most of them did not receive the benefits. 

The government had mandated the possession of transgender (TG) card for transwomen to apply for this scheme. “Around 40 of us, who have TG cards applied for the scheme as soon as they announced it. But we have not received any benefits until now. With Shakti, it is easier as we have our Aadhaar cards. When it comes to Gruha Lakshmi, there are some hurdles,” said Sudha, a transwoman from Mysuru. 

The officials from the Department of Women and Child Development said that while the facility for transgenders to avail the benefits of Gruha Lakshmi is open, many of them have not been able to avail it due to non-availability of TG cards. “According to the latest number, just 3,052 people from Karnataka have their TG cards. We are encouraging all of them to apply to the scheme,” a senior official said. 

Not just Gruha Lakshmi, but transgender persons say that the Mythri scheme under which they receive a monthly pension has not reached them properly the last few months.

“In this year’s budget, the government revised the pension amount from ₹800 to ₹1,200. But we have not received any money at all in the last two months,” said Maya S. R. Nayak, State Convenor, North Karnataka, The Alliance for Gender and Sexuality Minorities Social Justice. 

Monica, a transwoman from Ramanagara district, also said that it has been four to five months since the transgenders in the district received the pension. “We are also not getting the specified amount. Some months, we have received only ₹600,” she said. 

During last month’s Assembly session, Woman and Child Empowerment Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar had said that 3,403 individuals from sexual minorities were allotted houses under the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Devaraj Urs housing schemes.