No benefit from Gruha Lakshmi yet, say transwomen in Karnataka

During the Assembly session in July 2024, 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.
| Photo Credit: UMESH S SHETTIGAR

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. 

Housing confusion 

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.

Transgender activists disagree with the number given by the Minister. It has been more than two years since they announced these housing schemes, but the members of our community have hardly received its benefits. “We have been fighting for housing rights for the past 10 – 15 years,” Ms. Nayak said. 

Speaking about the harassment faced by the transgender community at the hands of house owners, she said, “If they cannot build houses for us, they can at least give us a plot and we will put up tin sheds and live there. No government has ever supported us when it comes to housing.” 

Activists say that the construction of houses for some sexual minorities in Mysuru and around Bengaluru is going on, but that is only a small number. 

“It was announced in the 2021 – 22 budget that these houses should be allotted on a priority basis under Rajiv Gandhi Housing scheme. While we are the nodal agency, the housing board is responsible for giving them houses. We have prepared the list of beneficiaries in each district after verifying their records. Out of the 3,403 houses which were announced, we have been able to identify 2,900 allottees,” said Pushpalatha H., Managing Director, Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation. 

She added that the houses are being allotted to those who already have sites. “For those who do not, the gram panchayat or city corporations should allot sites, and then the houses can be constructed.”